


Our New Lives Together

by RandomUmbrella



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: A Good Deal of Angst and a Good Deal of Fluff, Aubrey Hates Herself, Aubrey Runs Away, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Ghosts, Just a little bit less then Sunny., Post-True Route, Sunburn, Sunny Hates Himself, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29856642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomUmbrella/pseuds/RandomUmbrella
Summary: Sunny confesses the truth after nearly 4 years of being a shut-in, he was hoping his friends to forgive him, but what he absolutely did not expect was for Aubrey to ask if he could hide at his place.
Relationships: Aubrey & Basil & Hero & Kel & Sunny (OMORI), Aubrey/Sunny (OMORI)
Comments: 67
Kudos: 261





	1. Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes inspiration from both Runaway and Consider This Popsicle Stand Blown, both good Runaway!Aubrey fics:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29380125  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29253801/chapters/71834709

Sunny stood at the Hospital room door, the number plate reading "ROOM 143". He was really about to do this, huh? He had to admit, even with the mental battle against Omori, and the encouraging words of his "friends", he still didn't have the courage to simply open the door and tell the truth. It was going to be hard, and maybe his friends would hate his guts, but that was okay, he kind of deserved it for basically cutting all ties to reality for 4 years. He was starting to sweat a bit, and the adrenaline was going to his legs as if he was prepared to run the opposite way and never look back. But he couldn't do that, not after fighting for Basil's life and getting his eye cut from the fight. He owed him another one in case it didn't heal. Why was he cracking jokes now? He needs to calm down.

Focus.

Persist.

Sunny opens the door, and the first thing he sees is Basil, looking like he was hit by a car. He honestly didn't expect him to look so beat up. Maybe he had some sort of inner strength despite not even working out? Either way, he felt bad for what he did to Basil, but at least he wasn't dead. On his bedside were Kel, Hero, and Aubrey, all looking towards him. Their gaze, despite still maintaining his posture, paralyzed him. He probably spooked them without even realizing it, but it felt like they were about to judge if he was worthy of their forgiveness. He needed to do this, even if his friends didn't forgive them, at least to get rid of the Somethings that haunted both him and Basil. He took a deep breath and breathed out.

"I have to tell you something." His voice sounded rough and hoarse, due to not needing it to speak for four years. He had to admit, he sounded far older than he expected. He kind of liked it in a way, it showed how much he had grown. Unfortunately, it also reminded him of the lost time he could've spent with his friends.

"Woah, you spoke..." Kel was the first to speak up, but was immediately shushed by both Aubrey and Hero. He couldn't blame his surprise, he also didn't expect to speak. He just was expecting to curl up on the floor and die before even a word escaped his lips.

"I need to tell the truth, specifically about two things." He was going to do it, he actually didn't believe it, but he was finally going to do it. He figured that the photo album would be a decent place to start, since it would allow at least Aubrey to not forgive him, as much as the thought hurt. At least he would have Kel and Hero. 

"I was the one who ruined Basil's photo album." Almost immediately, Aubrey's eyes widened, then narrowed as he spotted her fists shake. If she was like this with just the photo album, he could only imagine how bad it'd be if it was about Mari. "Why..." Aubrey gritted out the sentence in restrained anger, which caused Hero and Kel to look at her with worried eyes, almost ready to tackle her if she tried to rush him. It didn't matter though, he deserved it. 

"Because I just, couldn't stand looking at them, and the thought of me ruining our friend-group. I just couldn't really bare looking at the photos anymore, I just wanted to forget what I did. I wanted to forget everything. I didn't want to continue living after that day. I just wanted to forget, do anything, other then remember how much I ruined everyone's lives." Now looks of confusion spread on her face, as well as Hero's and Kel's. They clearly had no idea what he was talking about, so Sunny clarified "I just didn't want to remember anything after that day, the one where...Mari died, the second thing I wanted to talk to about..."

Now he was starting to crack under the pressure. His legs were getting weak, but he could still stand, he can do this. He already admitted to the photo album, now's the time to talk about the truth...

"When I got the violin, I wanted to play it to please you guys. I only thought of it as a way to make you happy, to make Mari happy. I wanted to spend time with her, because she was getting ready for college, and I just wanted to spend as much time as I could before she left." A heat was beginning to build up in his eye, but he knew he could do this. "But Mari, she wasn't exactly the most forgiving teacher. I knew she was a perfectionist, but the way she made me play the violin, making me play the same notes over and over again, it just..." He breathed in, then breathed out, this was going to get rough. "I felt so stressed, we started bickering more. I didn't want to play anymore, to the point where she had to drag me to play that *stupid* violin. I was so pressured, not just because of Mari's perfectionism, but disappointing everyone. I felt I was going to ruin the recital. I was going to ruin it in front of my parents and you guys. I couldn't deal with it anymore. I just... couldn't. I did the only thing I wanted to do, the only thing I thought I could do, to escape from going to that recital, playing that instrument ever again, and escape from ever disappointing you guys..." There were tears leaking down his face at this point, but he wasn't sobbing. It was more like an emotional response than to start crying at the thought of the accident. 

"...On the day of the recital, I threw the violin down the stairs with as much force as I could, and I shattered it..." Everyone's faces had a look of shock, but their eyes held a sort of glimmer of sympathy for him. Hero having it the most. Sunny could tell he understood why he did it, but could still feel the pain of him throwing their precious gift for *him* down the stairs and destroying it. Sunny's voice was beginning to quiver, but he was almost there...

"M-Mari came out of her room after getting dressed, and she got angry at me. Asking why my violin was at the bottom of the staircase than in my hands. She yelled at me, c-calling me ungrateful, that everyone worked hard for that violin, that we couldn't do the recital, that I ruined all *her* hard-work. I just wanted to get out of there, I didn't want to deal with being yelled at Mari anymore. But she blocked me, telling me that I couldn't run away from my problems. I just wanted her out of the way, so we begin pushing each-other..." This was it, after 4 year years, he could finally do it. He was about to tell his friends what he did to Mari, and he hoped, no, prayed, that they would at least understand why. He was sobbing now, making it harder to see his friends' faces, but he could still make out their features.

"...I-I accidentally pushed too hard, a-and I didn't know where she was...and then I heard her scream as she f-fell down the stairs..." He wiped his good eye to see everyone's faces, and sure enough, everyone looked shocked. Hero looked the most hurt, while Kel looked horrified, and Aubrey looked like she was absolutely distraught. 

"I ran downstairs, hoping she was okay, hoping she was fine. She looked like she was knocked out, but she landed right on top of my violin. I didn't want to believe she was dead, so I carried her upstairs to her bed, hoping she would wake up, that it wasn't my fault that I killed the greatest person I could have..." He sighed a breathless sigh like he was releasing ten-tons worth of iron from his back. "She didn't wake-up..." God, this hurt so much. He would want to be in Hell than tell this story, he wanted to be anywhere than even say anything about Mari's death, but he knew this was for the better. 

"B-Basil arrived at my house that day. I still don't know why. Probably to cheer me on. He's always been like that. I was going into a state of denial when he came to me, I just didn't want to believe this was real, that I was just dreaming, that I didn't kill Mari. He grabbed me from the shoulder and told me he had an idea. I didn't know what exactly he had in mind, and I didn't even know it was Basil, I just followed what he said..." Sunny could see anger returning to Aubrey's face, and he could tell what she was thinking: What the fuck did Basil make him do. 

"We grabbed Mari's body and went downstairs, then we went into the backyard, I don't know how...much I was involved. I don't remember much, but I knew exactly what we did..." The tears were coming up, and could see the realization on his friends' faces on what he was talking about, he could see their pain, their grief, and even some sense of anger. "We hung Mari from the tree in our backyard..." He said it, he said the very thing he believed he would take to the grave, he said the very thing he kept hidden, even from himself, for 4 years. A secret so foul, he abandoned Abbi for even mentioning it to him. 

"That's when it hit me, I wasn't dreaming. E-Everything was real. I-I killed Mari, and when we were turning back, Basil looked at something behind me, and before he could tell me not to look, I saw..." He choked on his saliva, he was going to breakdown. He was nearly there, this was the final stretch, but he was close to losing it. He was close to jumping out the window from the mere sight of remembering that...*thing*.

"...I-I saw Mari's eye through her hair. Her big, bulging eye, staring directly at me...." He needed to calm down, he couldn't focus on the fucking eye, he needed to finish this once and for all. He can't fail now. Unfortunately, his legs gave up before his body could tell them not to, making him kneel as if to either beg or to be killed. 

"I-I know how much you want to hate Basil, and I know how much you want to hate me, I know how much I hurt you guys, and I am so sorry. I am so sorry I wasn't there when any of you needed me. I'm sorry I was so selfish. I wish I could've been there for you, I wish I could've just left my room, that I could've just told everyone what fucking happened..." He was sobbing hard now, tears practically making him blind. Unable to see their faces. He couldn't see a damn thing, which made it feel worse. 

"I-I'm s-sorry I took M-Mari away from you H-Hero, I'm s-sorry I took your s-sister figure away A-Aubrey, and I'm sorry took away your f-friends K-Kel..." Despite crying his eyes out and having a complete meltdown, he couldn't really figure out how much of an impact Mari's death on Kel. He seemed to be happy most of the time and didn't seem all that bothered by it, so he was honestly unsure how hard it hit him compared to Hero and Aubrey, as both of them had a very close connection to her than Kel did.

And just like that, he was done with his confession, and it ended with him crying on the floor, and being consumed by how much he thought he ruined everyone's lives. He couldn't see their faces, but he couldn't bare to see them. He didn't want to be reminded how much he had failed them. At this point, he just wanted to die. He wanted Aubrey to beat his skull in with a bat, have Kel pelt him with balls of all kinds, and Hero kicking him while he was lying there, bleeding and broken. He wanted to suffer since he deserved it. He felt sick, he felt like he was the worst person to ever live. That no trace of sympathy could ever mend his sins. 

He then heard a set of footsteps. He couldn't tell whose it was, but whoever it was didn't matter. Either they were about to leave, or they were about to punch him in the face and kick him down. He deserved both outcomes. And maybe then he could die. At least his friends would've known the truth, and at least they didn't get to see him again...

He then felt a very rough and strong embrace. It definitely wasn't Hero, and he guessed it was Kel, before feeling a familiar jacket against his hospital gown. He opened his good eye to see bright pink hair covering half of his view. 

It was Aubrey.

Out of all the people he expected to be the one to make the first move, Aubrey was someone he least expected. Sure he used to have feelings for her (and likely still did, giving how he was basically blushing now while still sobbing), but he didn't expect her out of everyone to forgive him first. He honestly expected her to be the one to beat him to death, or the one to at least not forgive him in the slightest. But here she was, giving him a mean bear hug, as she also began to lightly cry onto his back.

He was legitimately confused. Why doesn't she hate him? Want to gut him? Want to make him suffer as he deserved? Then something clicked, but before he could think it, she said it first. 

"I get how you feel. When we were at the lake, I felt like the whole world was against me, that I had to take my anger out on something, anything. I saw Basil, and it just, felt like I wasn't in control of my body. I felt like I was on auto-pilot, then I realized I just pushed him into the lake. I wanted to jump in there and save him, but Kel stopped me, then you jumped in, and I knew you also had a fear of water. If Hero wasn't there, I could've killed the both of you, I could've ended the lives of two of my old friends just because of some dumb fucking push." She was oddly quiet, almost like she also hadn't talked in 4 years. Then again, maybe she didn't want Hero and Kel to hear. He didn't blame her, he felt like this was between the two of them.

"I almost fucking killed you and Basil. I almost killed you both, and I didn't want to come out of my room after that. I now see exactly why you hid away for 4 years. I can tell why you didn't want to come outside and see us. Because you did something that was as worse as I did. But instead of it being mended and the person being alive, you had lived with something that lasted 4 fucking years, and the person who you cared about the most, buried 6 feet underground..." Woah, he didn't expect Aubrey to be this... understanding. Maybe their last day really did open her up from that tough shell she made for herself. It was relieving, to say the least. He held her tighter, simply because she felt like the worlds biggest pillow, coupled with the fact her hair smelled like strawberries.

He heard Hero then walk next to and sit near Sunny and Aubrey, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I-I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Sunny. I shouldn't have locked myself away for a whole year. I should've been there for you guys when you needed it the most..." He looked to see all his friends, the ones he grew up with, then continued. "I-It's going to take a while to get through, as this legitimately hurts me, but I want you to know, I am here for you Sunny. I may not exactly feel, forgiving right now, but it will come around. I don't hate you or Basil by the way, but I hate what you did, and I wish you came to me when that happened, or at least called your mom." Sunny knew Hero was the least likely to forgive, below Aubrey. But hearing Hero only not forgiving what they both did, but not hating them as people, made him feel warm. It was stern, but it was hopeful. 

"Yeah! I'm here for you too Sunny! I should've also should've tried harder to talk with you. I felt like I did something wrong when you became a shut-in. It legitimately hurt me, and I always tried to contact your mom, just to know how you were doing. She always said you were okay, but I knew that if you were okay you would be leaving the house and talking to us. I get why you shut yourself away though, must've been really rough dealing with all that in your head. Still, I forgive you, and I am going to be here from now on!" Kel hugged Sunny from the back, as Aubrey was in the front. Sunny was basically in a friend-sandwich, which felt nice. It felt nice that everyone still cared about him. But it also felt nice that he was going to be okay. No-one left him, and he wasn't going to lose them.

Sunny tried to awkwardly move his hands around so that he could do the fabled "Group hug" that Hero and Kel always do, but because of the positioning, it was kind of awkward and janky, only managing to get Kel and Aubrey. But it worked somewhat, and he felt content. He felt the warm sun from the hospital window shine on his face. He couldn't help but let out a light chuckle at the irony.

Sunny felt happy.


	2. Lost

Aubrey hadn't had a heart-to-heart speech in so fucking long. When Sunny first began talking, she was both furious and confused as to why Sunny, of all people, would destroy one of their most precious sources of memory. Faraway wasn't known for being "up-to-date" in technology, so getting something like a phone to take pictures with was out of the question. So when she saw that Basil's photo album, who she thought was the sweetest guy on Earth, drew black marker on all of their pictures. she was distraught and angry. But to hear that Sunny did it, the person who clearly cared about the friend-group more than all of them combined, blotched the photos to "forget" made her pissed off. She honestly wanted to punch him in the face, hard enough to maybe make him spin. However, when she heard the reason as to why she could really only feel extreme amounts of sadness and pity for him. He has basically closed off all outside contact with the world for over 4 years, just to forget about him accidentally killing Mari. It was fucked up, more so than her. That probably why he was carrying a big-ass steak knife in his pocket. Though she doesn't blame him for using it, considering she owns a bat with nails, even if it's for intimidation.

She also could see how much he really felt like a shit-stain to the world, from how his body practically collapsed in on itself as if it was trying to not exist, to sobbing his eyes out, as if to wring any moisture from his eyes as humanly possible. And honestly, she really couldn't hate him at that point, nor Basil. What Basil and he did was terrible, but they both knew it was terrible, and they were 12, so they were no doubt traumatized by seeing Mari's eye looking at them, and no doubt were they in more pain than even her. And even if she somehow didn't forgive, even if she somehow thought Sunny was the scum of the Earth (which was really, really hard to do), she needed to be there for them. She made a promise to both Hero and Mari that she wouldn't let them be alone like she had, like the pain she had endured. She was going to do her best at it, and she was going to do a damn-good job.

After leaving the hospital room and making up, they decided to go to the cafeteria on the middle floor of the hospital to get something to eat, and not make themselves feel even worse. It seemed pretty busy, but not overwhelmingly so. They mostly served basic breakfast and snack foods, such as pretzels, donuts, muffins, and even some slices of day-old cake. She decided she wanted a blueberry muffin, while Kel simply grabbed the disgusting liquid known as Orange Joe from the drink rack, while Hero simply chose a pretzel with cheese dip. She looked over to Sunny, seeing his eye nearly pop out of his head at the sight of delicious food. It was kind of funny honestly, so Aubrey had to forcefully hold in a chuckle. 

"Hey Sunny, see anything you like?" She asked, trying to follow where his eye was looking, but to no avail. 

"Um, I guess the cake slice..." He sounded tired and exhausted, and she didn't blame him. He looked like all the energy, or what little he had, was sapped away and replaced with emptiness. 

"Ew, you know those things are usually stale, right?" She knows from experience, but she could see it didn't make a dent in his thinking.

"I don't mind, cake is cake." Huh, Sunny was a cake lover? That's something new she learned. That or maybe he just wanted something really sugary to make him feel energized.

Aubrey told Hero what Sunny wanted as well as her order. He talked to the cashier, who then gave them the confectionaries after paying. They then walked over to a relatively quiet part of the cafeteria, where people weren't as crowded. She took a bite of her muffin, and it wasn't that bad. It was super soft, and the blueberries were real. It almost felt like a miracle, usually cafeteria food was pretty bad. She saw Sunny picking at his slice of cake with a plastic fork, seeming to inspect it. 

"Are you going to eat that cake, Sunny? You should at least eat something." He genuinely looked malnourished the more she looked, plus after all that crying he did, he needed something to at least fuel him a little. 

"Oh, uh, yeah. Just checking if it's stale. It's not" Huh, maybe God gave Sunny a special piece of cake as a reward for his confession? She wasn't as religious as the Bakery Family in the Othermart, but it was nice to believe in something that has helped her through all the tough times she had gone through, especially with Mari.

Mari...

She wasn't exactly sure when and how they will bring it up again. It honestly felt like it was mostly resolved, but she felt that there was some unseen tension in the air. Maybe it was just a lack of time for it to properly sink in? Maybe she was worried Sunny would lock himself away again, or worse. Or maybe it was just because it felt like it's her brain trying to create some kind of...thing to be a source of it. But no, that's impossible. Your brain can't create a personification of a source of conflict. She just wanted to make sure Sunny was safe is all, he definitely didn't deserve all the shit she's put him through...

Now her thoughts focused on the past three days, and she felt even more like shit. She basically made him hate her, after losing one of the most important people of his life, and she basically antagonized him for being a shut-in because of it. A shut-in who, in general, didn't even know what was going on, and most likely wanted to see her again. She probably did deserve that stab wound, if she was being honest. She should've at least been there for him, even if he didn't answer. At least Kel, Kel of all people, checked up on him multiple times to see if he was okay, while she wallowed in her own self-pity because she felt *she* was the one who was abandoned. God, she's such a fucking dumbass.

Okay, just focus, it's all in the past, they forgive you, you made up to them in the backyard, even had a big group-hug. Just focus on the muffin and focus on Sunny's terrible health. However, she soon noticed that Kel was practically chuging the bottle of Orange Joe at lightning speed. Just as fast as she saw him open to bottle, the bottle was empty. He then let out a belch, which was disgusting. 

"Ew Kel! How can you even chug that stuff?! Are you trying to get diabetes?! That stuff is pure sugar!" She genuinely couldn't understand why he liked Orange Joe so much. It was a terrible fucking drink.

"Haha! What? Can't handle someone drinking a man's drink?" He proceeded to flex his biceps, not to her amusement in the slightest, causing her to facepalm.

"Ugh, you're just as annoying as when we were twelve." He really hasn't changed since he was twelve, and she genuinely admired him for that. It was the *only* thing he admired him for, anyway. She wished she could just go back to sweet innocent Aubrey, who didn't basically bully one of her old friends into almost killing themselves. Great, more sad thoughts. Maybe Sunny was rubbing off on her. Great, there was also another sentence she shouldn't think of (at least, not with people around). 

"Hey, cut it out you two, we already had a rough day as is, we don't need any more fighting." Hero said as he took a bite of his cheese-dipped pretzel. He always was the mediator, always stopping fights. It's nice to see that old habits die hard, and his habit is still young.

"Fine..." Both grumbled out, but they both meant it. They did not want to be fighting again, especially after everything.

"Anyway, Sunny, how's your cake?" Hero said while chowing down on the pretzel. Oh yeah! She didn't check if he ate it! She looked at him and saw he was eating the cake, and while his face was blank as usual, his eyes showed happiness and content. That slice of cake really must've been blessed.

"Yeah, it's pretty good. Reminds me of the cakes you and Mari used to make..." Great, now she wishes she had ordered the cake instead of just a muffin. She also always liked some cake, preferably red velvet, but any cake would do, and if Mari made the cake? Let's just say Aubrey would be in cake heaven. She could see Hero had a glint of sadness in his eyes, but it quickly faded, giving Sunny a half-warm smile. "I'm glad it tastes that way." 

This was nice, just relaxing, eating with her best friends, it made her feel happy. She looked to Sunny, who was still chowing down on the cake slice. She always thought he was kind of cute. She couldn't exactly explain why, maybe it was his eyes, his black hair with a prominent cowlick, or how he also seemed to listen to her problems whenever something bad happened to her, especially about her living situation, specifically her mom. It always felt nice, knowing someone like him always listened to her problems. She remembers a specific moment when she was swinging on the swing set in Faraway Park before they were old and rusty. After one of their picnics with Mari, she and Sunny began swinging, and she was having a great time. The wind blowing in her hair with each momentum she gained. It felt exhilarating. She couldn't help notice though, that Sunny always watched her while she was swinging like he was entranced by her movements. When she looked to see him, she saw him quickly move his head to look straight, with a red tint going to his ears. It was adorable honestly, so she kept staring at him. With each second passing, his ears grew brighter. Soon he turned to look at her, and then she felt herself blushing as well. They locked eye contact, not realizing they had stopped swinging altogether. At that moment, she knew, she fucking knew, why she thought he was cute: She had a fucking crush on him. 

She hoped he also had that crush, but she doubted it. No way in hell is a guy like him, who has been isolated for 4 years from everyone around him, found her even remotely as attractive as when she was 12. She wishes she could look like her old self just to gain some sort of attraction from him, but that would take way too long, and too much effort. She had this punk thing going on, and until she at least could get the hair dye out (which would probably take a few months at least), she had to stick with it. Still, maybe he liked her for the way she was, and not because of how she looked when she was 12. Besides, she wanted to honor Mari in her own way, the hair was special to her. It was their last wish as friends to dye their hair. Still, she hoped Sunny liked it, as he didn't seem too bothered about it. She desperately hoped that was the case.

Aubrey then saw a nurse walking towards them, holding up a clipboard. 

"Hello! Which one of you is Henry?" It was extremely weird hearing Hero's real name, it felt unnatural. They basically grew up with Hero, so hearing another person say "Henry" to address him felt alien.

"That'd be me. What seems to be the problem?" Hero got up from his seat, still holding one last piece of pretzel in his hands.

"Well, I'd like to inform you that Basil is beginning to wake up, I suggest you go see him, but if you want to wait a while feel free to do so." The nurse fiddled with her clipboard, looking incredibly fidgety, then proceeded to walk at a brisk pace out one of the entrances in the cafeteria.

Well, it's time to see Basil, she guesses. She wasn't exactly thrilled to see him, considering he made the idea of hanging Mari in the first place, but she definitely did not hate him. As she said, they were 12 and made a shitty mistake. Still, she needed to be there, for Sunny at the very least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this is my first attempt at writing. Any criticisms would help.


	3. Comfort

Sunny and the group walked back to the outside of Room 143. The cake was alright, he never really was a cake person, but it tasted alright. It was far from stale, as Aubrey implied, and it was extremely sweet. So sweet they probably added 5 times more sugar into the cake batter than the recipe called for. It didn't matter though, it was food, and he was just hungry. He was never one to care what type of food was being offered, he just ate it. In Headspace, Mari made all sorts of dishes, from fruits to cakes, to even things she didn't usually make like sushi and tofu. It didn't matter what she made though, they were all made by Mari, and that was enough to make him eat. She wished were here, but then again, maybe she was, in her own way.

"Hey Sunny, you there? You've been standing there for a minute now." Aubrey waved a hand in front of his face. Great, he zoned out again. It was a bad habit that he probably should get rid of. It did come from a pretty wild imagination though, and he was grateful for it.

"Oh, sorry, zoned out." He was getting more and more used to talking. He was never known as a social person, but he was getting the hang of speaking to others, most likely from his "experience" in Headspace. It felt nice though, he was able to to talk to the people he cared about without feeling like a burden, a ball and chain to tie them down.

"Uh, I think you guys should wait out here first. I want to talk to Basil in private." Basil would most likely be either extremely nervous or have a breakdown out of fear of them hating him, plus he wanted to talk to Basil about their guilt. Mostly because he just wanted to let him know everything is okay.

"Are you sure? I mean, I think I understand why you want to talk with Basil, but I still want to be there when he wakes up." Hero scratched the back of his head. They still cared about him, that much was obvious. But he didn't really want to risk Basil being overwhelmed.

"You can come in after I am done." It was going to be hard, but he could do this. Admitting to the truth was about as hard as he could manage, so talking to Basil was going to be a tiny splinter compared to the truth. Plus, he needed to be there for his best friend, he couldn't be alone, not after everything.

"Alright, you got this dude!" Kel gave a big thumbs up and one of his famous ear-to-ear grins. He always had a positive energy around him, even in gloomy situations. He was glad to see it didn't falter after telling the truth. "Yeah, I believe in you Sunny" Aubrey gave a very slight smile. She really had become alike to him, as they both mostly wore cliff-faced expressions most of the time. Was it because she had become numb to emotions as he had? No, that wasn't possible, even she expressed frustration and sadness during their three days together. Maybe it was an imitation of him? He did always know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but then again maybe she wanted to look "cool" by being so stoic. Whatever the case, it was nice seeing Aubrey give a smile to him, and he felt grateful for it.

"Thanks, guys." He said as he gave a thumbs up. He can do this, he knew he could. He walked into the Hospital room, looking as bland as it ever did. It honestly reminded him of White Space a little bit, with how white everything was, and how bright it could be. The only difference was the window and hospital equipment. And Basil, resting peacefully on his bed. He honestly couldn't believe he hurt Basil enough to take him to the hospital, he genuinely felt bad for it. He wondered the extent of the injuries he did to him. Broken bones? Fractured ribs? A cracked skull? He was too scared to know the gritty-details. He hoped Basil was going to be okay.

Basil then opened his eyes, and despite sleeping for the entire night, he looked like he didn't sleep at all. Underneath his poor head was his Something, looking like the roots of a tree, latching onto his pillow. He could also feel Something behind him as well, but he didn't dare turn around. Not out of fear, but because he wanted to focus on Basil. Basil's eyes turned to Sunny. He looked so damn tired, it was a miracle he didn't die in his sleep, as weird as it sounded. Sunny couldn't think of any words for Basil, all the vocabulary he could speak was nearly wasted when telling the truth. It was hard, but he had to open his mouth. Basil was a boy who kept secrets, he never told anyone what he knew for fear of them hating him. Unfortunately, that had the opposite effect. But now it came to him and Sunny, just the two of them, just like the day Mari died.

Sunny gave Basil the warmest smile he could manage. He wasn't smiler, that much was obvious. Mari had always been the happy-go-lucky girl, while Sunny was always really closed off and somewhat gloomy. Smiling like this though, it didn't feel unnatural though. It felt like unlocking a new ability that his body could do. The smile was meant to represent every possible word that could come from his mouth: You're safe. We're forgiven. We don't need to hide anymore. We are going to be okay. We have each other. You are my best friend. He then felt Something leave, as if the sheer positivity was radioactive. Whether it disappeared entirely or was just preparing to come back, he didn't care. He was just happy to see Basil again.

Sunny opened his eye, not realizing he closed it, to see Basil smiling as well. It was a very small and weak smile, but a smile with so much warmth baked into it. It really did feel like he was truly happy. Even Basil's something was gone, and he was glad for that. He then walked over to Basil and gave him a big hug, a hug he also wasn't used to giving. He never gave much into the group hugs Kel and Hero did, but for Basil, he gave him all the hugs that were possible from the depths of his soul. He was happy to see Basil again, no matter how much he tried to repress seeing him in the dream world. It felt amazing seeing him again. He was really a great friend.

"Basil, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for abandoning you when you needed me the most, I'm sorry for not preventing Aubrey from bullying you, and I am sorry for being a terrible friend." He really did feel terrible. Even if he didn't know why, during Black Space, where he watched multiple versions of Basil die in horrifying ways, he now knew why, and it sickened him to see what his mind came up with. Omori may have been doing his job, keeping Sunny safe from the truth, but he didn't have to repeatedly kill Basil over and over again just to prevent it. He simply could have just hidden him deep within his subconscious, to the point where he completely forgot he existed, like what his dream friends experienced during their final mission. But no, he had to watch Basil die, over, and over, and over again. And for what? Just to feel numb to his death? To hate him? He never got how Black Space worked. It was a collage of ideas and madness, not following any known laws of reality like Headspace. Maybe a hidden part of him really did hate Basil, but even if that were true, the part he knew still cared about him.

"N-no, p-please don't say that. I should've b-been the one there for you. I abandoned you too, you know." He did have a point, both of them basically abandoned each other for the same reason, but neither knew what to do for the other. He still felt like he was a terrible friend, one no one deserved, but at least Basil cared about him.

"It's okay, I deserved it. Especially after...killing Mari." He really did deserve it, and even if Something was gone, vestiges of guilt remained tied to him. Of course, they would always be there, but they would loosen, at least in the future. They would get through this, though.

"N-no! You don't d-deserve any of what happened to you! I am so sorry. You shouldn't feel that way." Basil wasn't as much of a talker as Sunny was, that's why both were so close to each other. They basically could understand one another on a personality level.

"I honestly don't deserve to have a friend like you..." He really didn't, he legitimately felt more like an excuse to be a friend, rather than a real one. Basil deserved someone better than him, someone, who could always be there for him. Someone who at least tried to help at his most vulnerable, instead of walking out of the bathroom when Something began consuming him.

"You do though. You're my b-best friend Sunny." He honestly didn't know if that was the sweetest thing he heard or the saddest thing he heard. But to him, though, it didn't matter. At least Basil could have a shoulder to cry on, that much was certain. He felt happy to be his friend.

"You're mine too, Basil. I promise to be there for you, always." It meant the world to Sunny when Basil hugged tighter and say the words he never really expected, but did at the same time. "I p-promise too, I'm going to be a better friend for you. It's okay, everything's going to be okay, as long as I am here, you're going to be okay." Those words caused Sunny to cry, again, for the third time this day. He probably needs more water after crying this much, not to risk himself becoming dehydrated. Basil was always so kind, just as kind as Mari even. Sunny was always there for him, and Basil was always there for him as well. They both swore to that oath long ago, and it will remain until the day they die.

"Thank you, thank you so much." He had to say it, he couldn't leave him feeling like he was underappreciated, not this time. Basil hugged tighter, surprisingly stronger than he expected. Maybe he also had some sort of supernatural strength in him. Then again, maybe it was just how much kindness Basil had for Sunny.

They stayed in the Hospital room for what felt like quite a while, but he knew it was probably a few minutes. They talked about how much they were sorry, how much they wanted to be there for each other, and how much they regretted not being there for one another. Sunny also told Basil that all of his friends (mostly) forgive them and that they didn't hate either of them. Basil was relieved to hear that, as he was genuinely worried he would lose everyone. Basil also apologized profusely about Sunny's eye, and he didn't blame him, Sunny definitely had the worse damage than Basil. Sunny said it was alright, maybe the doctor would tell him it was only a minor wound, and that it would heal. If not, then at least he could look like a pirate. Basil laughed at Sunny's somewhat child-like imagination, but he didn't mind. He was proud of his imagination, it at least made his "life" more bearable.

"Do you want to see the others? They're waiting outside." His friends probably heard everything they were talking about when Sunny entered the room, but he didn't mind. He kind of liked the thought of them listening to them talking, it made him feel they weren't lost.

"O-oh! I-I mean, I don't see why not!" Basil look a little anxious, and Sunny didn't blame him. A part of him also feared what Basil was going to endure, but he knew that his friends weren't assholes and that they were going to be there for him. Sunny nodded and then went to the hospital room door, and sure enough, Kel and Aubrey were extremely close to the door, and they immediately jumped back. He figured they were listening, no way could they not hear them through the door. But that didn't matter, he simply gestured them inside, along with Hero, who was reading a magazine. As they stepped inside, he shut the door to keep their conversation private. Sunny was admittedly very tired, and he simply just wanted to rest. So he sat in one of the nearest chairs and took a quick nap.

* * *

Sunny woke up in White Space, again. Damn, he was hoping he didn't have to fight Omori again, that fight really was a pain. He looked around, seeing any differences in the environment. Mewo was gone, which was saddening, his laptop and tissue box were here. He also took note of the broken lightbulb on the floor, symbolizing how he had freed himself from his guilt. Well, nearly free anyway. But oddly enough, Omori was nowhere insight, and the door to Headspace was also gone. As much as he wanted to move on, he still loved Headspace. In his opinion, it was much better than reality, due to its existence being limited only by his imagination. So if he couldn't go to Headspace, and Omori wasn't here, why was he here? Was it just because he had grown attached to this place? Was it because his mind didn't know what else to dream? It was confusing, up until he felt a light touch behind him. He turned around, expecting to see Omori, that monochrome, the dead-eyed face of his younger self. but instead, he saw a face that should've brought warmth, but instead brought fear.  
  
  
It was Mari.  
  
  
Not Dream Mari, but actually Mari. The one who always appears white as a ghost, and as monochrome as Omori himself. He stumbled and fell on his bottom, this really couldn't be possible. Was it a cheap trick being played by Omori? Was it just Something coming back to haunt him? It certainly felt like it. His guilt always manifested in ways that most would consider supernatural. He was no doubt worried this was going to turn into a nightmare, and he expected it no less. But then he heard her voice before almost breaking down.   
  
"Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you, little brother!" She sounded so...alive. It was borderline unnatural. There was no hint of malice or hatred in her voice, so that was a good thing at least. She definitely looked and sounded older though, the same age as Hero he guessed. He didn't really get that, do spirits age? Or do they just adapt their physical appearance to fit in line with what they want? It was a question that probably most paranormal enthusiasts could never figure out.   
  
"M-Mari...?" Well, this was a wild turn of events. He honestly thought Mari was gone forever, moving on into the spirit world or Heaven or wherever people go when they died. He didn't expect her to actually start appearing in his dreams, no less talking to him directly. He was used to her doing and saying cryptic stuff, like most ghosts do in the movies he'd seen, as well as what she had done as well. But now she was directly speaking to him, and there wasn't anything cryptic about what she was doing here.   
  
"Well, duh! What did you expect? That younger, evil version of you or something?" She definitely still carried her wit, that's for sure. Maybe some things do carry on after death.  
  
"W-Well, yes! Why are you in White Space?!" He was genuinely confused. She shouldn't even be _in_ White Space. Only Mewo, the Hands, Omori, and sometimes Something could come in here. But anything outside of it, like Headspace, couldn't exist in here. It was a fail-safe of sorts, to not let anything from the outside world come inside his place of safety, even if most of the inhabitants were "safe". So he was genuinely confused that Mari, a person directly related to the accident, could be here.   
  
"Oh! Is that what this place is called? I thought it was called "Bland Void With Some Stuff Inside It"!" Huh, she definitely seemed more cynical than she was in life. Then again, maybe this was her way to cope with being, you know, dead. "Anyway, I am here because now that you freed yourself from your guilt, I can talk with you directly!" Okay, that didn't answer most of his questions, but it definitely explains how she was here. His guilt did indeed repress her death, but he didn't expect to repress her appearance altogether. "Plus, I wanted to talk with you directly for a while now! I didn't like seeing you so sad. I tried my best to reach out to you, but you're guilt and repression were so strong, I could only really see you for short intervals. I just want you to forgive yourself, since you deserved it. So does Basil..." She gave a wistful look and a small smile, showing care and love he hadn't see in, well, 4 years.  
  
She honestly forgave him, huh? After literally feeling like he was the scum of the Earth, that he took away the brightest person the world had ever seen, that he was a monster for ruining his entire friend group, she forgives him. Not only that, but she wanted to talk to him. It was... gratifying? He couldn't exactly tell what he felt, but he did feel some sort of gratefulness that, despite literally hating every bone in his body, Mari still loves him.   
  
"But...why do you forgive me and Basil? I was the one who pushed you down the stairs, I was the one who ruined our recital, I was the one who ruined everyone's lives!" Tears were running down his face. He still didn't get it. Why still care about him, when she should resent him? Why should she not want to make his life a living Hell, so that every waking moment he could see her hanging body? He didn't understand. She put a hand on his shoulder, used the other to rub his head, but he didn't look at her in the eyes. He couldn't.   
  
"Because, Sunny, you're my little brother. Even after that accident, I knew I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. I shouldn't have focused so hard on the recital and should've focused on what you wanted. In the end, it's my fault that I caused you so much pain, and ruined everyone's lives..." She...felt she was the one responsible? That doesn't make sense. She was the glue that held everyone together, the one that Hero loved with all his heart, the one Aubrey thought of as the sister she never had, and Sunny's big sister...  
  
"Why do you blame yourself for what I did?! Why do you want to even talk to me now?! Why don't you just make me suffer..." Sunny was about to collapse, before being held by Mari before he could fall. She felt warm, and he could actually hear her heartbeat, a rhythm he always heard when they slept together. It felt really soothing, enough to stop him from crying more.  
  
"Sunny, you suffered for 4 years. You are so broken it hurt me. Whatever hate I did feel for you, even if it existed in the first place, is gone now. I just want to see you happy. I blame myself because I knew how much I meant to everyone and because I should have just taught you the violin, instead of teaching you for a recital that you barely cared about..." Damn it, he didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve anything, he just wanted to die. He didn't want to live with this guilt, he just wanted to be with Mari.   
  
"I'm sorry, Mari." That was the only thing he could really say at this point. He didn't know what else he could say, he just was happy to see Mari again.   
  
"I'm sorry too, Sunny..." She held him tighter, and despite the tears still streaming down his face, he felt happy. He got to be held by Mari again. "Oh! And guess what?!" She held his face to look at her, a big happy grin on her perfect face. "I can visit your dreams whenever I want! That way you don't have to feel like a failure! The spirit world isn't all that interesting anyway..." Sunny really couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. It was, baffling really. It didn't feel possible, but she knew she was telling the truth. And he was happy about that.   
  
He hugged her tightly, glad to see his big sister again.  
  
Sunny felt content.


	4. Forgiveness

Well, this is awkward.  
  
This was all Aubrey could think when she, Hero, and Kel walked into the room to see Basil. She heard nearly everything through the door, with Kel competing to have the full scoop. Hero simply told them just to let Sunny and Basil have their moment, but she really wanted to know. It sounded nice though, and it seemed like Sunny and Basil were still friends, even after everything. However, now being in this room felt extremely uncomfortable. Not just because of the giant bombshell that was Sunny's confession, but also the fact that she didn't know what to say to him. What could she say that hasn't already been said? She feels bad for pushing him into the lake? She feels responsible for him almost killing himself? She wasn't even sure he heard her through the door yesterday. He probably was blocking things out, as Sunny did.   
  
"U-Um, h-hey guys. Sorry for making you worry about me..." To their surprise, Basil was the one to break the ice. He definitely sounded better, but she could tell from his eyes he carried a sort of exhaustion that was slowly starting to leave him. He truly did look sickly, he almost looked like Sunny in terms of health, despite going outside more than Sunny did.   
  
"No no, don't apologize. We're for you, Basil." Hero sat on the edge of his bed, looking at him with a sympathetic look. He always wanted to make others happy, which was probably why he and Mari got along so well.  
  
"I-I know. It's just, hard to accept. After all these years, the secret is finally out..." He looked like he was going to start crying, so Hero hugged him tightly. "Don't worry, it's okay. Let it out if you need to." Basil hugged Hero tightly, clinging to him so tightly he looked like if he didn't stop hugging he'd die. She could see the tears beginning to form in his eyes.   
  
"Yeah don't worry dude, it's all good. I and Hero are here for you. If you want, you can come over to my house today! If that would cheer you up." It was a heartwarming scene, she couldn't just stand there like a statue and expect people not to notice. She was going to apologize to him for all the shit she has done to him for the past year or two. She walked up to the end of his bed, so he could get a decent look at her. She could tell he was terrified from the look in his eyes, so she tried her best to sound soothing.   
  
"Basil, I don't know if you heard me through the door yesterday, but I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for bullying you. I shouldn't have immediately taken my anger out on you for the photo album, and I should've heard you out first, even if I now know it wasn't your fault. I'm sorry I almost killed you and Sunny. I just..." Great, now she's the one that started to get afraid of forgiveness. "God, I'm sorry for being a terrible friend to you Basil. I was the one who introduced you to our friends in the first place. I should have made a better example of myself. I know you probably hate my guts right now, and you know what? I deserve that. I treated you like dirt, but I want you to know that I'm sorry and that I hope that you understand that I and my friends won't bully you ever again."   
  
Tears were streaming down her face now, she really felt like trash honestly. She honestly didn't even try to hide her emotions anymore, she just felt like the worst person in the world. Maybe this was how Sunny felt for all those years? Feeling like the scum of the Earth for basically destroying someone who you care about. She really did hope it was possible for him to forgive her though, she didn't want to lose Basil because of her screwed-up emotional issues. To her surprise, Basil crawled out of his bed and hugged Aubrey.   
  
"P-Please don't be sorry A-Aubrey. I understand how you felt. I kind of did feel like I deserved it though, especially because of what happened with Mari..." No, he was not about to turn this in on himself, he was not about to make himself feel any worse than he already did. She pulled back and put her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"Wait what?! Basil no! You didn't deserve any of that crap! You didn't deserve the hell I put you through! I just want you to be happy again..." He can't just accept that he deserved all the terrible crap her friends did to him. It wasn't right! She needed to at least make him know she cared about him. So, she hugged the hell out of him, squeezing the air out of him.  
  
"T-thank y-you, A-Aubrey..." He hugged back as well, not having the strength to hug as strong as she did, but just enough to be classified as a good hug. She was glad she could have this moment with him, it was nice.   
  
"Haha, Aubrey! You're hugging him so hard his face is going blue!" Kel laughed like he just heard the funniest joke ever told. She immediately stopped hugging him, and sure enough, he did look slightly discolored, and he was breathing deep breaths now. Looks like she overdid it just a bit.  
  
"O-Oh, sorry." She felt a little embarrassed but she didn't let it show on her face.   
  
"I-It's...huff...fine." At least Basil was fine and that she didn't accidentally crush his lungs.   
  
The group continued talking about stuff, what their plans today were now, especially after everything that's transpired. Hero proposed they go meet at the hideout-spot like old times, or go and see the treehouse. Kel just wanted to either go to Hobeez or play on the basketball court, though neither Hero nor Aubrey was really good at Basketball, and Basil was not interested in sports. Basil suggested they could go to his house to make everyone their own plants to take care of, and it was nice. The problem was Aubrey didn't really live in the best environment for a plant or a flower. She'd have to get one of those artificial plants that one gets where everything they touch dies. However, what no one else knew is that Aubrey did have a plan of her own, but it didn't involve anything in Faraway. No no, she was planning on doing something so insane she'd be locked in an insane asylum for what she was about to commit.  
  
She was going to run away from Faraway.  
  
She had been planning the idea for quite a while, to the point, it was so meticulous that she basically had instructions stuck into her head. It's not that she hated Faraway necessarily, it was extremely peaceful, plus Gino's Pizza and Hobeez were always fun to go to. No, the reason she wanted to leave was her deadbeat, worthless excuse for a mother. Ever since the day her dad left, her mom basically became braindead, spending hours upon hours watching TV. It wasn't even interesting stuff, it was just some dumb shit about the news or a children's cartoon for 6-year-old's. Plus, she knew that the house wasn't exactly the safest place. She could easily fall through the rotten wood flooring of her room, possibly breaking her leg, and her mother wouldn't even notice. However, at that point, she didn't know who to run away to. Hero wasn't necessarily a bad choice, but he was only 19 and was still in college. He also wasn't exactly good financially, so taking care of both of them would be extremely difficult. Kim was also a good choice, the problem being was that she was literally only a few blocks down from where her mom lived, making it easy for her to find and retrieve her if she actually bothered to notice _and_ managed to get her ass unglued to the moldy couch. However, she now had the perfect person that could get her away from that hellhole, it was almost too perfect.   
  
Sunny.  
  
Sunny was not only going to move to the city, but he was also going to stay there. Plus, the thought of secretly living with her crush was kind of cute in her opinion, almost something out of a romcom, and she didn't even watch those types of movies. The only problem was _how_ to runaway with Sunny. His mom may be sweet, but she would most likely say no, plus how was she going to hide in their apartment or wherever they were going to live? Well, she would simply just go with the flow, and whatever happens, happens. She's the self-described "master" at adaptability. She could do this, she was going to run away from her hellhole of a house, and maybe, just maybe, stay with Sunny. It was a win-win!  
  
She just hoped it'd actually be a win.  
  
After talking with Basil for a few hours, a doctor came in and told Basil that he wasn't seriously injured, just a broken nose and bruises, and that he was free to go. She was quite relieved, as when she saw the damage that happened in Basil's bedroom, it looked like a fight to the death. The doctor also told Hero about Sunny's condition. Apparently, his eye would heal, but he needed to take antibiotics and wear an eyepatch for about a month. Other than that, he would be fine. Well, at least Sunny was also okay, she was worried about his eye. Once she manages to somehow get into their apartment, she'll make sure to take care of him. And there was nothing romantic about caring for someone, nope, nothing.   
  
Afterward, since it was getting late, everyone decided it was time to go home, but before they could do that, she needed to talk to Sunny about the plan. She wasn't sure if she should tell the others but seeing as they were her friends, she didn't exactly see anything wrong with telling them. Besides, they must've at least saw the disgusting status of her home when they came to see her, so they at least had a decent idea on why she wasn't staying in that pigsty.   
  
Aubrey was the first to walk out, looking around for Sunny. She found him sleeping in one of the nearby waiting chairs, he looked so peaceful. She did notice, however, there were tears flowing down his cheeks. Was he having a nightmare? No, she knows the face of Sunny when he has a nightmare after countless sleepovers. He always looked like he was in pain, and his body would always twitch. No, he was perfectly still, and his face looked relaxed and at peace. She wasn't sure if she should, but she decided to jostle him awake, considering they had to leave.  
  
"Hey, Sunny, wake up." Sunny woke up with a start. Looks like he was really invested in that dream. "Oh sorry, were you having a good dream?" The look on his face said he wanted to go back but then relaxed again. She kind of felt bad for waking him from his dream, but she didn't know when he would wake up again.  
  
"Heh, it was the best dream I ever had..." He had a wistful look on his face like he was remembering the best memories he had. He didn't look apathetic or cliff-faced, he looked at peace.   
  
"Oh, can you tell me about it? I would like to know." She was pretty curious about what Sunny dreamed up. He always had an overactive imagination, especially when they played together.   
  
"Heh, let's just say I got to meet someone special." That confused her. Someone special? Who could be special to- oh, she had a good guess as to who this person was, but didn't want to press the dream in fear of getting it wrong or making him feel sad.   
  
"Well I'm sorry, but we got to leave. The doctor said you need to wear an eyepatch and take antibiotics for a month to heal your eye." She could see that his face wasn't sad, nor was it happy. It just looked neutral.   
  
"Oh, I see. Thanks for telling me, Aubrey." He gave a thumbs up for telling him, and she gave a thumbs up in return.   
  
"Oh, and before I forget, meet me by the fountain in the plaza. I got a plan that involves you." She then sat down next to him, and before he could ask "No, I am not telling you here, it's private. At least, for now, it is."   
  
Now all she had to do was to hope this plan of hers wasn't as half-baked as she thought it was.   
  
  



	5. Plan

Sunny had just woken up from his dream, and what a dream it was. He was happy to see Mari again. He actually couldn't believe she could visit his dreams. It felt unreal, almost impossible. But yet, she still came to him and was willing to talk to him whenever he wanted. That in itself made his day just a bit better. He always thought Mari hated him, and sometimes he thought Something was Mari. However, he was wrong, Mari was always there for him, helping him battle his fears, and making him move one step closer to forgive himself. It made him feel just a bit warmer. He was going to sleep as soon as he can, as he didn't get much of a chance to talk with Mari that much.   
  
Sunny, Basil, and the rest group left the hospital after one of the nurses gave him an eyepatch and some anti-biotics. He was kind of worried at the prospect of losing his eye, but he hoped it would heal. Didn't want to know what it would be like losing depth-perception. Sunny was also given the clothes he wore the previous night, to which he had a very uncomfortable realization that they literally stripped him while he was unconscious. Well, they were doctors, but it didn't make it less uncomfortable. Regardless, he would change into them when he got the chance.   
  
They proceeded to walk out of the hospital, to the bright blue sky and sun directly overhead. It was noon, so they still had plenty of time to spend together.   
  
"How close are we to Faraway, Hero?" Sunny curiously asked. He was unconscious for the entire night, so he legitimately had no idea how far away he was. He still sort of blamed himself for dragging his friends to some hospital that was probably miles away from their hometown.   
  
"Oh! Well, it's actually not that far, about 10 to 15 miles away? Shouldn't take that long to get back. Your mom said because of the situation with you and Basil that she had to stall the moving process, so if you want we can spend some extra time together! Maybe stop by Gino's for some pizza?" Hero gave Sunny a warm smile, almost comparable to Mari. He felt safe with that smile like nothing could hurt him.   
  
"O-oh! I'd like that, Hero. It's been a while since we hang out together, ever since M-Mari..." He could tell Basil still felt bad about Mari, but Hero put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him with a reassuring smile. He knew that they both did something bad, but that they could get through this. They always did.   
  
"Same, I would like that as well." Sunny gave his signature thumbs up. He was going to spend as much time as he wanted, and since they were going to Gino's, he wanted to know what Aubrey wanted to talk to him about.   
  
"Alright, we can take my car then! It has room for five people, so we don't have to worry about being too cramped." Hero and the group then walked down to what looked like a pretty average car, with a light blue paint job. It definitely fit Hero; Modest, clean, simple, and most importantly, efficient.  
  
Everyone got into the car, with Hero and Kel sitting in the front seats, while Aubrey sat on far left while Basil sat on the far right, with Sunny sitting in the center between the two. It felt nice, even after the confession, it felt like old times, where after a long day of playing, Sunny's mom would use her behemoth of a Mini-van to take them all home, with Sunny always sitting next to Aubrey. Aubrey always never wanted to go home, so Sunny always sat next to her so she felt safe. It wasn't right leaving her to fend for herself in that house, well, if you can even call it a house at this point. And just like old times, she was sitting right next to him, now looking older, and having the same cliff-faced expression he did. It was nice, he felt nice, and he was hoping it felt nice for her too.  
  
"Well, that was a day. And this was the only noon." She said abruptly. She had her window down, letting the wind blow through her hair like snakes through a jungle. She looked stunning.   
  
  
"H-Heh, it really was..." Basil was looking at his hands as if trying to occupy himself from being scared. He and Sunny still wore their hospital gowns and bandages, but they would both simply change them out at home for the clothes they had.   
  
"Well, at least we have more time to spend time together! Especially you two. I really missed this, to be honest. I am honestly glad to have friends like you. I may have sports buds at school, but you guys will always be my best friends." Huh, Kel had certainly had got a better way with words than he thought. He always thought of Kel as always speaking his mind, regardless of how offensive it was.  
  
"Huh, I never expected you to say that Kel, but yeah, I agree, I missed this. I missed this a lot..." She really did look like she missed this. Sunny also did too. He wishes he could turn back time and spent those last four years with his friends. Not his fake, perfect dream friends, his _real_ friends. Who knows, maybe he could've gotten to ask Aubrey out during those years, that way he wouldn't have to leave without telling her how he really felt. Then again, maybe he could, but he doubts he would have the opportunity today.   
  
"Woah, Aubrey? Agreeing with Kel? I must be having a nightmare!" Hero chuckled to himself. Sunny was glad he didn't look overly hurt by the truth, and even if it did hurt, he was really good at hiding it.  
  
Aubrey punched him lightly in the shoulder, as to not accidentally cause a car crash that would kill all of them. Heh, this really was like old times.   
  
Sunny just stared at the windows, watching the world pass by him as he made it to Faraway. It really did feel nostalgic. He never particularly liked car trips, but with his friends, and knowing that it would be the last time they'd see each other on a regular basis, he was taking in every moment. Maybe before they could exchange phone numbers? Sunny did have a phone, an old, and crappy house phone, but a phone nonetheless. So at least he could at least talk to his friends. He was hoping he could get Aubrey and Basil's numbers. They didn't really appear to have phones, but it wasn't a chance he was willing to risk.   
  
Suddenly, and without warning, Aubrey laid her head down on his shoulder. Was she also tired from today? She did mention it was exhausting, but he never took her for a napper. He always thought of her as someone who stays awake until the end of the day. His ears were burning hot now. It reminded him of how he used to lay his head down on her shoulder when they were twelve, but having the roles reversed made it even more embarrassing. He looked around to see if anyone noticed. He saw Basil looking at the passing trees and telephone poles, and Kel and Hero talking about something, probably sports or college. He looked to see Aubrey's face, and despite still having the same stoic expression, it looked like it softened. Her closed eyes also looked peaceful, as if she truly was in a deep sleep. He then did the unthinkable, he laid his head on top of hers. Now he was truly blushing up a storm, but it felt really nice. He wasn't exactly "touch-starved", but this feeling of close contact with someone who he had so close to him made him feel warm and fuzzy. It honestly felt like a dream.   
  
He then closed his eyes, not to sleep or to dream, but simply to rest them. He always did that when he was on car trips. However, while he was resting, he swore he could feel Aubrey's body heat rise. He wasn't sure if it was just his own heat peaking or his imagination, but it eased him greatly.   
  


* * *

The car then stopped with a halt, which caused both Aubrey and Sunny to move up in a start as if their lives depended on them to wake up. He looked around, finding himself parked in the parking lot at Gino's. He looked at Aubrey, who even through her pale skin and stoic face, had a notable redness on it that was unmistakable. Oh, so he also wasn't the only one blushing. While it did make him feel better, it also made him confused. Why was she blushing so hard? Did he do something wrong? Did he make her feel uncomfortable? If she was just sleeping, why did she wake up at the same he did? Thousands of questions and no answers, but then again, some questions, such as why people die, will never be answered.   
  
"All right, we're here!" Hero exclaimed, getting ready to get out. With Kel following suit.   
  
"Oh man, Pizza Time!" He exclaimed as he practically jumped into the air with glee, showing off his skill at the basketball while he was doing it. Basil then left as well, followed by Sunny and Aubrey. Gino's was right next to the fountain, so at least when Aubrey got the chance to, they could just leave and talk at the fountain.   
  
The group made it inside. Gino's wasn't known for being "classy", but it was known for having better pizza than the frozen ones at the store. Plus, it always tasted good. Sunny couldn't remember a single day where he had a bad pizza from Gino's. The group waited at a table, while Hero ordered a large pepperoni pizza. Sunny never liked pepperoni's on his pizza, he simply preferred plain cheese, but he was willing to make an exception. Besides, Kel would most likely eat the pepperonis straight from the pizza. After ordering, Hero came down to sit with them at the head of the table. It really was nice, their last dinner together, before Sunny moved away.  
  
"Hey Sunny, how are you feeling? This technically is our last day together, even though yesterday we thought it was..." Hero gave Sunny a small smile. He really wished he could spend more time with them, he really did, but time waits for no one.  
  
"...Sad, because I don't want to leave you." It was true, he didn't really understand why he had to move in the first place, but he guessed it was most likely his mom couldn't afford to live in a two-story house being occupied by only two people. Plus, his dad had basically become estranged after Mari's death, so that was also a low blow. "B-But I was thinking if any of you guys have them, do you think you could give me your phone numbers?" It was a simple yet ingenious idea. He could at least talk to them whenever he wanted, even if it wasn't in person.  
  
"Oh, sure! I have my own phone now since it was a birthday present from my mom when I was about to go to college." Huh, Hero had a phone? He really was moving up in the world. He always figured he would at least have a phone, he was the most responsible after all.  
  
"I don't have a phone, but I could give you my parent's phone! And my mom and dad have considered getting me a laptop for my birthday, so maybe we can use some chat client!" The thought of Kel owning any sort of technology that allowed him to browse the internet scared Sunny. 

"I don't have a phone either, but I do have a crappy laptop that my dad left behind. It does its job. I have a chat client on there, called Discord, but I don't use it often. Only use it to talk with my new friends occasionally. Could add you on there if you want." Aubrey shrugged. Sunny was far from unfamiliar with technology, but his Dad's old computer looked straight from the 90s or early 2000s, but it could suffice to download the client. Besides, when he moves to the city they might be able to get better technology.   
  
"I-I don't really own a phone or computer, but Polly has been thinking of getting me a phone! Since she knows how much I care about you guys..." Basil has always preferred plants over stuff like computers and phones. It's kind of funny honestly, he was the embodiment of mother nature in a way; always avoiding tech, no matter how beneficial it could be for him. "In the meantime though, I-I'll give you guys my home phone number, since I do at least own a house phone."   
  


"Alright, then it's settled! We'll give each other our contact info so that we can stay in touch. I have a pen on me, just let me get some napkins to write on." Hero grabbed five different napkins and proceeded to use them as a sort of sticky note. He wrote all their phone numbers and Aubrey's "Discord tag" onto the list. He then repeated the same on the rest of the napkins. It looked really repetitive, but Hero spent nights writing essays, so this didn't seem too bad. "Alright, so we all have our napkin list?" Hero held up his as an example, to which everyone else followed suit. "Good! Keep these in a safe place, they are napkins after all. Or you could repeat the info on a piece of paper if you can!" That also was a good idea, napkins weren't exactly the most resilient of writing material, so he would probably do the latter. Everyone curtly nodded, and right on cue, their pizza had arrived. Gino's delicious, ever so tasty pizza.   
  
They then proceeded to dine on the pizza as if they were all on death-row. Not unusual, since this was their last dinner together. Savoring every moment counted, and it eased Sunny's mind. He at least managed to get everyone's contact info, so he would be able to talk to them. He felt content, looking at everyone eating so peacefully. Kel, the pizza lover that he is, ate 3 slices, while everyone else just ate one. It was pretty funny seeing the pizza being devoured so quickly by his maw. Truly nothing escapes his mouth once somethings inside it. Aubrey, sitting to Sunny's right and finishing her slice of pizza, nudged his elbow a bit to get his attention.  
  
"Hey, let's go talk at the fountain, they seem pretty occupied right now." She whispered to him. Admittedly he didn't want to leave just yet, but he had a feeling what Aubrey was about to tell him was important.   
  
"Oh, alright then" Sunny gave a simple shrug, then proceeded to stand up alongside Aubrey.   
  
"Hey Hero, we're just going to go sit by the fountain, we'll wait for you guys to be done." Hero gave a thumbs-up as he was eating his slice of pizza. The two proceeded to walk out to the fountain. He could tell it was getting a little late, probably 2 to 3 pm, but not that late to be given a full sunset. The two sat by the fountain, the sound of rushing water filling Sunny's ears. He really should've changed clothes at the hospital. He really did felt kind of chilly, plus he didn't want to look at the damage his eye was given.   
  
"What did you want Aubrey?" Sunny gave a cocked eyebrow. He wasn't exactly sure what Aubrey wanted to talk about, considering he got her contact info.  
  
"Okay, so basically I've been coming up with this plan for about a year. I've been planning different ways of executing it, what I can do, you get the idea." Okay, so it was a plan of sorts, but what kind of plan? Sunny wasn't exactly sure he was going to like it.  
  
"Okay, what's the plan?" He genuinely didn't get a good idea as to what she was planning, it was far too vague. Maybe some hooligan antics? It wasn't out of the question, given her new "interests".  
  
"Well, what if I told you I wanted to leave Faraway?" She said with a very sly grin. Oh, he now had a _very_ good idea of what she was planning. For what felt like decades Sunny's eyes nearly shot out of his head. She was planning to leave Faraway? But why? Basil and Kel lived here, surely she'd miss them, right?   
  
"Wait, that's your plan? You want to leave Faraway?" He genuinely couldn't believe it. Aubrey has always been a reckless person, but he knew this was too far.   
  
"Well, yeah. I am tired of living in that shitty house with that crappy excuse for a mother. I don't exactly have a future here either, it's all pizza delivery or cashier jobs." Giving a simple shrug. "Plus, even though Kel and Basil live here, I honestly can't really look at them the same anymore. I don't hate them, but I just don't think I could really look at them without feeling regret for what I did. I can still call them though, so it won't really be like I won't see them again." So that's why she wanted to leave. To be fair, he didn't blame her, Faraway wasn't exactly the part in America where there was much opportunity. It was pretty isolated, to the point where some maps didn't even contain it. They were, quite literally, on the edge of nowhere.  
  
"Oh, well I guess I kind of get it but have you even told anyone about this plan?" He wanted to know that she at least got the approval from Hero. He was the adult of the group and the person who looked after everyone.   
  
"Nope! No one in our friend group knows except Kim, since she offered to take care of Bun-Bun, but if you want you can tell them. I don't really care about their opinions though. I've made up my mind." Huh, well that seems fair. At least he could inform the rest of the group that Aubrey was going to leave.   
  
"Oh, I guess I'll do that. Actually, why did you want to talk to me specifically?" This was a genuinely good question. Why talk to him out of everyone? Why not just leave without anyone ever noticing. He didn't really get it.   
  
"Good question, that's because you're going to be my getaway driver." She said with a smile that bordered on Ecstatic.  
  


_What._

"What?" Sunny said, with his jaw slightly agape.  
  
"Well, yeah! You're moving to the city, and that's just far enough that my mom won't even think to look there! Plus, I always wanted to see the city for myself. I was thinking I could stay with you as well, I always wanted to know what it's like to live somewhere that is both clean and not filled with the noise of rats." He literally couldn't believe what he was hearing, it boggled his mind. He was far from opposed to help Aubrey out, but how the Hell was he going to get Aubrey into the city? His mom may have been sweet, but he didn't underestimate her kicking Aubrey out and telling her to go back. And the thought of living in the same building as her... well, he probably dreamed that up more than once before White Space became the dominant dreamscape.   
  
"B-B-But how?! I can't exactly talk to my mom about it! She'd think I was some sort of kidnapper! I have no idea how I could-" Then an idea came to him. It sparked like a thunder-strike. It was a simple, very simple, almost cartoonish, idea. But maybe, just maybe, it could work. "I have an idea."  
  
"You do? I want to hear it!" She shook him, but it was no use. He didn't want to be called "silly" or "dense", he knew it was probably the only way it was going to work as if he didn't tell her. He simply shook his head, and since Aubrey was used to his firm headshakes, she stopped shaking him.  
  
"I'll show you later. In the meantime, pack your things. I'll be waiting outside my house." Aubrey gave a little huff, but she accepted.  
  
"Alright, I'll go pack up my things and drop Bun-Bun off at Kim's house. You...do whatever you plan to do." But before she got up, she paused. "Oh and one more thing." Sunny wasn't prepared for Aubrey's crushing embrace. She really was stronger than she looked, but then again maybe she has been working out. "Thank you so much, you really have no idea how much this means to me."   
  
"No, I do." He was starting to blush, but that didn't stop him from hugging her too. It truly did felt nice. She always was the one to give Sunny the biggest hugs, and even after 4 years, it was no different. After a while, she stopped hugging him and she walked back to her house. Considering that Hero's car was locked, and because his clothes were inside it, along with his wallet and Basil's Photo album, he needed to ask Hero's for his car keys. After going back into Gino's, he noticed the confused look on his face as he noticed the absence of Aubrey.  
  
"Where's Aubrey?" He said after finishing his slice of pizza.  
  
"Went to talk to her friends. Anyway, can I have your keys, I need to get my wallet." Sunny was hoping Hero didn't question him too much, but it seemed he wasn't exactly going to let this slide.  
  
"Oh, what are you planning to buy?" Hero's gaze looked puzzled.   
  
"Oh don't worry, I'm just going to stop by Hobeez." Sunny then gave a quick thumbs up.  
  
"Oh, sure! Here you go then, hope you can buy a good comic or figurine." Hero gave Sunny the keys, to which he then nodded and left the pizzeria.   
  
In actuality, he wasn't going to Hobeez, he was going to Fix-It.   
  
  



	6. Transportation

Aubrey made her way to her home. Or really, the place she called "home". It was not a pretty place, and when she was younger it used to only look half as bad. When her dad left, though, everything went to shit. Her mom basically became a soulless husk of her former self. She used to be energetic, somewhat short-tempered like Aubrey herself, but now she doesn't even emote anything anymore. Aubrey is scared to become someone like her, someone who just lets the world go by them and focusing on a simple thing for the rest of their lives, becoming just like Sunny...  
  
No, she wasn't going to compare Sunny to someone like her. At least he had a decent reason as to shut himself off from everyone else. Her mom didn't even have an excuse, nor did she bother to even give one. She one day just hopped on the TV and watched as if nothing else existed. She didn't even seem phased when she stepped in front of her vision to ask for some food. She just monotonously said the money was in her purse. Nothing more, nothing less. She was alive, but in most aspects, she died when she was 12.   
  
Aubrey entered her home, the smell of rot and body odor filling her nose. No matter how many times she came in here, she could never adapt to the smell. It was always changing, from sweet rot to piss and vomit. It smelled horrible, and she was glad she was going to leave soon. She made her way past her mom, still not even batting an eye to even say "hello". She didn't even know she went to the hospital for Sunny and Basil, or that she was gone from her house entirely. She probably just thought she was outside doing nothing, just like her. Aubrey climbed the ladder and into her bedroom, the only remotely clean place in the entire home. Bun-Bun put his cute little front-feet over his fence, like a dog waiting for his owner. He kind of reminded her of Hector a bit, she really was going to miss him.   
  
She pulled out a pink duffle bag from underneath her bed. She was given it from Vance to get more candy for him, but she never used it, so he simply apologized for getting her a gift for his own reasons. In reality, it was quite the opposite. It was exactly what she needed. She picked up her pillow and blankets, as they were pretty cozy, as well as the laptop and charger for it under her bed. She also grabbed the picture of her and Kim, right after Aubrey dyed her hair. She was a good friend, a little pushy, but a good friend. She really was glad to have met her. She put the picture in her duffle bag, along with the rest of her stuff. Other than the broken-down TV and Capt. Spaceboy poster she had in her room, it was basically barren. She zipped up the duffle bag and grabbed Bun-Bun from his enclosure. Kim said she bought everything that was required to take care of Bun-Bun, so she knew he was in good hands.   
  
She climbed down the ladder, a little difficult due to carrying Bun-Bun, but it was manageable. The poor bunny curled up in her arms from the stench of the rest of the house, but soon he wouldn't come back here ever again. She walked out of the hallway and into the living room, her mom still watching the same stuff, not even noticing Aubrey's duffle bag or her pet bunny. She contemplated if she should say anything to her or write a note on the broken fridge that she was leaving. But soon she figured it'd be a waste of time. Her mom barely paid attention to her anyway, what makes a difference if she said anything now? So she simply left the house, not looking back to see her mother.   
  
She then walked over to Kim's house, adrenaline rushing through her veins. She thought about this scenario over and over again in her head, but doing it, in reality, was nerve-wracking. However, she knew doing this was for the better, and that this was really the best possible solution she could muster. She stopped at their front door and knocked. It was Vance who opened the door, to her surprise.  
  
"Hey Vance, is Kim home? I want to speak with her." She kind of hoped that he didn't know about her plan, and judging by the look he gave to her, and gazing at Bun-Bun and her duffle bag, he seemed to have a decent idea as to what she was doing.   
  
"Oh yeah, she's in her room right now setting things up for Bun-Bun. She told me about the plan by the way, and I just want to say before you go, thanks for being a good friend, I appreciate it." He gave a small smile before moving out of the way to let Aubrey inside. Vance, despite his intimidating appearance, was always a softie. He never really could hate anyone, not even Basil when she told Vance about him. He genuinely didn't seem like hooligan material. He probably did it to support his sister, as he genuinely cared about her. It reminded her of how Sunny and Mari used to act, always there for each other, always there for when they needed someone...  
  
She stopped herself from tears going down the sides of her face through sheer will-power and went upstairs to Kim's room. She was setting up a small enclosure on the floor for Bun-Bun, and some kibble was on the floor nearby.   
  
"Yo, Aubrey! It's good to see you, sis! I got everything hooked up for Bun-Bun, I researched a ton on bunny care, so don't worry about me screwing things up!" She gave some finger guns to Aubrey. Aubrey was glad that Kim took the time and effort to look for how to properly care for Bun-Bun, she was truly grateful for her sympathy.   
  
"Heh, thanks, Kim. This really means more to me than you may know." She gave Bun-Bun to Kim, who quickly cuddled himself in her arms. He did spend time playing with her for a while, so he was familiar with her. "Ah, it's no problem! I'm just happy to help you out. I know this is a big dream of yours, and I am glad I could be of help." Kim said while stroking Bun-Bun's white fur. "You know, I really am going to miss you. I know this may sound a lot, but could you please talk to me when you get into the City? I want to know how you are when you get there, heh." Kim was already friends with her on Discord, so Aubrey didn't have to worry about phone numbers.   
  
"Well, duh, that's going to be one of the first things I'll do when I get there! I ain't going to abandon you, think of it as "moving away but from my mom"." She wasn't exactly good at putting her thoughts into words, but she always did try her best. Kim hugged her tightly with one harm, the other holding Bun-Bun.  
  
"Thank you so much Aubbie..." Heh, Aubrey always liked Kim calling her "Aubbie". She never really got nicknames that much, even from her own parents. She was hoping to give Sunny a nickname, just to see his reaction. Sun-Bun? Sunshine? Sunburn? All good nicknames, but probably too bland. She'll have to try them out.   
  
"No, thank you for making this happen. You're a great friend." She hugged Kim tightly. She really did make this plan work, and she wasn't sure how things would've transpired if she didn't meet Kim. She pulled back from the hug. "Anyway, I do have to go soon, don't want to miss my ride, you know?" She needed to hurry and get back to Sunny's how before it gets late, she didn't want to waste more time.   
  
"O-Oh! I get you. Well, I hope you have a nice trip. Thanks for hanging out with the gang and stuff..." Kim was never good with goodbye's, even casual ones, but Aubrey didn't mind.   
  
"No problem. I'll talk to you as soon as I can." Aubrey waved as she walked out the door. "Bye Kimmie!"   
  
"Bye, Aubbie!" She waved, sensing a hint of sadness in her voice, as Aubrey closed the door. Alright, she dropped Bun-Bun off at Kim's house. Time to meet Sunny at his house, well, his "old" house now. She left as she waved Vance goodbye and sprinted to Sunny's house. They were lucky they lived in a relatively small neighborhood, and that her friend-group didn't need to drive very far to get to their friends' houses. It made things easier back in the day, just walking across the sidewalk to Sunny's house and hanging out was nice. It was an escape from the oppressive atmosphere of her home-life. The constant fighting she endured from her parents mentally strained her. She didn't know why they were fighting, and perhaps she will never know, but it always hurt to see her parents argue. It was most likely money, she figured. They had a very strict set of rules on clothes, never letting a single piece of clothing get wasted, even if it was dirty. This applied to even shoes as well. Her dad would always say, if she lost even one shoe, then she'd be in for a "real whooping". She was terrified of losing her shoes at that point, always being careful about where she was moving, so as to not trip. However, one day while walking with her friends, she accidentally tripped, not noticing the sizable crack in the sidewalk. The trip caused her foot to dislodge from her shoe, causing it to fall and slide down a storm drain. At that point, she lost it and began sobbing uncontrollably. Her friends told her it was okay, and that they'd get her another shoe, but she never did tell them why losing something as simple as a shoe meant so much to her. Luckily, though, Hero removed a sewer lid and climbed down the storm drain to retrieve the shoe. She hugged Hero, thanking him for getting her shoe back. He always was selfless, risking himself for the betterment of others, kind of like Sunny in a way.   
  
As she became lost in her thoughts, she heard a voice, looking up to find Sunny, not wearing his hospital gown, but his normal clothes, as well as changing out the bandages for the eyepatch the doctor gave him. It seemed he changed while he was inside his old home. Besides him though, got her eye. It was a black plastic container, the ones where you store stuff, such as old toys or books. It was fairly large, to the point Sunny could fit inside it easily. On the lid, there were small holes, but she wasn't exactly sure why they were on there. Did Sunny make those holes? Regardless she didn't know why he had a container with him. Did he forget to pack somethings still in the house?  
  
"Hey, Aubrey. Want to hear my idea." He said as he patted on top of the container, making a hollow sound. So there was nothing in there? Why did he have a container if there was nothing in there?   
  
"Uh, sure?" She really wasn't sure what the idea was going to be, but it most likely had something to do with that container.  
  
"Okay, so I was thinking. I am moving away. Keyword "moving", so I was thinking that maybe, I could hide you in this black container, and pass you off as some books and toys that the movers forgot." Sunny said with a small smile.  
  
Okay, this idea, was either the most ingenious idea she has ever heard or the stupidest, most batshit insane one she has ever heard. Hiding in a container didn't sound...comfortable, nor did she liked the prospect of sitting in there for God knows how long, but if she was willing to make this work, she had to take her chances. So she let in a deep breath, then a long, drawn-out sigh. She really was going to do this, huh?  
  
"Fine, I have to admit that is a good idea. I'll do it." She stepped beside Sunny and hugged him tightly. "You really are such a dork." She could feel him blushing, but she didn't mind, she was glad that he was doing all this for her. "Actually wait, do you have your keys to your house? I want to grab one more thing." She just realized she almost forgot something very important.  
  
"Oh sure, here you go." He gave her the keys before she sprinted inside, giving a passing glance to the now completely empty room, not even containing the moving boxes, to the outside, where she spotted the tree-stump, along with the pinwheel she left behind yesterday, still spinning in the wind. She didn't want to waste time indulging in the painful truth and only gave a small nod towards it as a sign of respect, before going inside the treehouse. It was still just the same as she left it, but the only thing she wanted was on the desk.   
  
"Hey, Mr. Plantegg." She grabbed him, and while he was dusty and beaten from neglect, there was nothing other than a good wash and some stitching she couldn't do to fix him. Aubrey was given Mr. Plantegg from both Mari and Sunny, mostly because her full name, Aubergine, meant Eggplant, and even if she didn't like her full name, it was sweet of both of them to gift her something that reminded them of her. She didn't know where Mr. Plantegg was, assuming he was lost in the trash of her home, or somehow lost him when they were playing together. But it was great to see him again, despite being in such a poor state. She gave him a hug, remembering all the times she would hug him for comfort when she was upset. He was the best source of company, along with Sunny. But since Sunny couldn't always be around, she had Mr. Plantegg with her.   
  
She then put him inside her duffle bag, making sure she could never lose him again. Before sprinting outside to see Sunny. She stopped and took a breather, before standing upright.  
  
"Sorry, wanted to grab Mr. Plantegg before we left. I didn't want him to be abandoned like that." She really didn't want to see Mr. Plantegg in some dump or in the trash. He deserved better, he deserved love.  
  
"Heh, cute..." She noticed Sunny's ears slightly turn red but punched him lightly in the shoulder to make it less awkward.  
  
"Shut up..." She said, but she didn't mean it, she actually liked being called cute, but now wasn't really the time, especially since she had a job to do. She popped open the lid and sat down inside. It was surprising, though somewhat cramped. Sunny then put the lid over the container, with the breathing holes (as she guessed they were being used for) being the only source of light. "I hope this idea works." She really did, this plan really couldn't fail.  
  
"I hope so too." He said with sadness in his voice. She did have faith that this would work. It was pretty simple, but it could really work.  
  
After what was probably minutes but what felt like hours, she heard a car approach and stop next to her. Afterward, she heard someone get out of the car, likely Sunny's mother. Sunny's mom has always been a loving mom, her dream mom really. Someone who legitimately cares about her children, and someone who actively is there for them.  
  
"Hey Sun-Bun, what's in that container?" Aubrey desperately hoped Sunny was good at lying. But then again, he essentially kept a secret to himself for 4 years.  
  
"Oh, just some toys I helped the movers with. Since there wasn't any room in their truck, do you think I could put it in the back of your van?" It seemed like a simple lie, but it seemed believable. Sunny was always someone who wanted to help. He was like that.  
  
"Oh my! It's been so long since I heard your voice. You really did grow up! But you look just like when you were a little baby-boy. I'm sorry I couldn't visit you at the hospital, today sweetie, I had to make sure the movers moved the furniture in the places I wanted them to. I hope I can make it up to you with a gift I bought for you!" Wait, Sunny's mom bought him a gift? Aubrey was really curious, she kind of wanted to hear what she bought him. Sunny's parents were never the richest, but they lived in a very nice house..   
  
"It's fine, I understand. Could you help me lift this container to the back of the van?" Oh no, Sunny has never been the strongest person, so the thought of him carrying the container she was in brought a sense of dread.  
  
"Oh of course sweetie! Mommy may be getting old, but she's been working out a lot. Time to put "Mr. Carcello's Bodacious Babe Workout" into action!" Aubrey had to hold in a laugh because of the ridiculous name of the workout. She then felt both Sunny and his mom walk over to the sides of the container. "Okay, are you ready? On my count. 1, 2, 3!" And just like that, she felt surprisingly weightless. She didn't know if it was because she was light, or because both Sunny and his mom were really that strong. They lifted her into the trunk of the mini-van and put her down surprisingly gracefully.   
  
"Woo, that thing is heavy a couple of toys! Still, I am glad you helped with lifting it!" She really was relieved they managed to get her into the car without dropping her roughly.  
  
"It wasn't a problem." Sunny simply said. She heard the trunk door closed and the two get in the car, hearing Sunny sitting in the very back seat, most likely to get as close to her as possible. "Hey, are you okay?" Sunny whispered, trying to make sure his mom didn't notice he was talking to a container.  
  
  
"I'm good, thanks for asking." She lightly chuckled at the thing she was about to say. "Also, Sun-Bun is an adorable nickname." She had to hold in more laughter as she was very, very close to losing it and having her cover blown.  
  
"Alright, are you ready Sunny to see your new home?" She sounded positive, but she can tell from the tone of her voice there was a hint of longing.  
  
"Ready." Sunny replied back.  
  
"Alright, here we go, the start of our new lives together as mother and son!" She then felt the car move, driving away from Farway, and on its way towards its new home.   
  
  



	7. Road Trip

Sunny sat in the back of his mom's mini-van. It felt barren without his friends, especially Mari. She would always sit next to him, it always felt comfortable. She did sit with Hero from time to time, though he always seemed to blush up a storm whenever he was at least 2 feet apart from her, so she kept his distance, as to not make him too uncomfortable. He looked behind him to check on the container that Aubrey was hiding in. He was lucky that Fix-It had them, as he wasn't sure what he would do if they didn't. He had to also buy pencils so that he could poke holes through the lid, and luckily Sunny's Mom either didn't notice or care that a bin had holes on its lid. She probably thought it was a bizarre design choice. Right after buying the bin, he went back to talk with Hero, who was reasonably curious as to why he bought a plastic container if he was going to Hobeez. Sunny told the group about Aubrey's plan, and while they all looked sad, they couldn't blame her for leaving. Besides, her mom wasn't the best guardian, if she could even be called a "guardian" at that point. They all said their goodbyes and had a big group hug, with Hero telling Sunny to take care of Aubrey, to which his ears flushed. He really didn't expect Aubrey to come live with him, after telling the truth no less. Some deep, dark corner of his mind told him it was an excuse so that she could kill him without the rest of the group knowing so that he could finally repent for all the pain he had caused. But he shook it off, she clearly had a good reason for leaving, she wouldn't want to kill him after basically making her dream come true. She was definitely hurt, but she wasn't hurt enough to want to bash his brains in.   
  
He just needed to think positively, there were some things in his life that will never go away, and that was his self-hatred. He was good at hiding it, but when it came to some situations, he broke. It started when he was 10, and then got slightly worse with time, and by the age of 12, it hindered his ability to even speak. After Mari's death, his self-hatred consumed him. No longer seeing a purpose to exist, to live, to see his friends again, he simply slept. He didn't kill himself, he couldn't do it. He didn't have the guts to do it, so he just buried and repressed all the memories he had of what had happened deep within his psyche. He could live with knowing that Mari forgave him, but he also had to live with the complete and utter lack of forgiveness for himself. Somehow though, Mari could still see him. Maybe because he had accepted her death? Or maybe she was there just to be his personal therapist. Whatever the case, he was just glad to at least talk to her.   
  
"Soo, Sunny, how was your last three, well more like 4 now, days with your friends?" Sunny's mom asked while not looking behind her, but looking at the rearview mirror towards him. He hasn't seen her in person for what was a year at most, but then again he hasn't seen her at all since Mari died. She just left a year ago, saying she was looking at a new apartment for her and Sunny. it was abrupt, but he didn't mind. Besides, she didn't know he was going through Mari's death. She probably thought he was just browsing his computer and doing schoolwork, unaware he basically gave up on school.   
  
"It was nice, I got to meet Kel. He's still the same from when we were 12. Aubrey had really changed though, I honestly thought she hated me, we even fought a few times, but we made up to each other. Hero also came by and we hang out too. He's in college studying to be a doctor. I was hoping he was going to be a chef, but I guess not. Basil was there too, but we didn't speak much to each other. We made up though. He's still a great friend." The memories of his last three days came back, both good and bad. Him and Kel looking to buy Hero a gift, him slashing Aubrey with a knife, him and Basil talking, going into the bathroom and seeing his Something consume him, buying food for Hero, almost drowning after Aubrey pushed Basil and trying to save him, Hero saving both of them, Aubrey locking herself away, all of them hanging out together, one last time. It was a good time, possibly one of the most fun adventures he ever had, even more so than his Headspace ones. It just felt nice getting together and being friends again. He really wished he came out sooner.  
  
"Wow, sounds like you had quite the adventure! I honestly can't get used to you speaking, sweetie. It's been, hm, 4 years since I heard you speak? It really has been so long. I honestly thought you couldn't use your voice anymore, and that I wouldn't be able to hear it..." She said with a very sad look on her face. He really didn't speak to his mom after Mari died, he just used notes or vague gestures to communicate what he wanted. He felt bad for making his mom worry about him, no one should care that much about him. No one. " But enough about you speaking, I bought you a gift!" Oh right, she bought him something. He at least hoped it wasn't some toy or book, and while he would be grateful for the thought, it felt like no effort was put into it.  
  
What she did pull out, however, was a small present, slightly big but not too small to be a ring or some jewelry. He didn't get a good idea of what she was giving him, as he never told her what he liked neither what he wanted. He did notice it was rectangular shaped though. He tore off the wrapping paper, and he really couldn't believe his eyes. It was a cellphone, but not just any cellphone, an iPhone. For a second he was impressed that his mom could even afford such a thing. She chuckled and said, "Hehe, you like it, sweetie. I bought you that iPhone so that you can talk to your friends more easily! Besides, the city is way more advanced than in Faraway. I never realized how behind we were with the times. It's a miracle we even have a city nearby!" He was still shellshocked by how she spent at least 1000 dollars on him, just because she knew how much his friends meant to him.  
  
"H-How could you afford this? I know we don't have this much money..." Inspecting the package he could tell it was an "iPhone 11", so it seemed pretty up to date.   
  
"Well, when we sold the house they gave me some money for leisure spending, so I decided to buy it for you!" She sounded genuinely happy he liked his gift. However, reminding him of the house also brought up another question, one he never got an answer for.  
  
"Hey, Mom? Why did we have to move away from Faraway if all my friends were there?" With that question, his mom turned deafly silent and stopped laughing, the only sounds now being the droning of the tires against the road.  
  
"W-Well, sweetie, when you're Dad, um, left us, I couldn't afford to live in a two-story house for just two people, especially after Mari passed away. Not only was I struggling to pay for the house, but without Mari, it just didn't feel right. There were no houses for sale in Faraway either that was one story, so I had to look elsewhere. I picked the city because it was the closest one I could find to being affordable and close to Faraway, so I chose that one. I know it's hard, moving away from your friends, I experienced it too when I was your age, younger even. But sometimes, that's just how life is. Don't worry, I'll take you to see them every once in a while. Maybe during summer break, I can drop you off at Kel's house! Wouldn't that be fun! Who knows, maybe you can tell Aubrey that you have a crush on her~." His mom looked at her with a smug look on her face, reminding him so much of how Mari used to tease Hero.   
  
"W-Wait, you knew about that?!" He never expected his mom to be so perceptive. She was gone for nearly 4 years, and yet she still could read him well.  
  
"Oh, my, who said I knew~?" She let out a chuckle. Mari got a lot from their mom, so it was kind of painstaking seeing it wasn't Mari doing the teasing. "But really, I have known you liked that girl for quite a while when you were twelve. It was honestly really obvious! How she used to drag you by the hand when I dropped you both off while you were blushing, or the time when I saw you blushing while picking you up both up from the beach when she laid her head down your shoulder. Oh my, you both were so cute. It's kind of a shame you never asked her out then, I would've loved to see you two holding hands." Sunny was having a full-on emotional meltdown. Aubrey was literally right behind him, hearing his mother talk about how he had a crush on her. He wanted to jump out of the car and be run over by another one. He hoped, no, _prayed_ , no matter how unlikely, that she either couldn't hear what was being said or was asleep. He wasn't sure what she would do when she got out of that container. Would she beat him to death? Walk off in disappointment? He was frankly terrified. The least he could do was beg for mercy, well, whatever mercy she could wring out of her bones.   
  
Not wanting to deal with the embarrassment head-on, he laid his head back and took a nap, not letting his embarrassment consume him.   
  


* * *

Once again, Sunny was in White Space, his personal safe space, now completely pointless. It seemed to now serve as a hub between him and Mari. He thinks he could change the design, but White Space always had this charm to it that made it not as bland or stale as most would make it out to be. It truly did feel safe. Not only that, but there were a few additions here as well, such as a Piano, a violin on a rack, and a table and two chairs at the center of White Space, with the sketchbook and laptop being on top of it. Mari was sitting in one of the seats, looking at him with a warm smile.   
  
"Hey, little brother! Come sit with me, we got kind of interrupted last time, and this time I think you need a little break if you catch my meaning." She gave him a wink, signifying that she knew why he wanted to take a nap in the first place. He took a seat on the opposite side of Mari like they were having a discussion while drinking tea.  
  
"Wait, so you can see out into the real world." He still didn't quite get it. Was she just stuck in White Space, or could she just not appear ever again one day? Didn't make much sense to him.  
  
"OH! Well, your eyes are basically my eyes, I can see what you see! Think of it as you being a movie and me watching that movie. But except instead of a movie, I am watching the world through your eyes, and I can also hear your thoughts." Okay, that did not just make him highly uncomfortable, considering she could hear literally every piece of self-loathing that his mind had, and even dirty...thoughts...of...Aubrey... Okay, this was even worse than the car. Mari most likely noticed his expression of pure horror and smiled warmly. "Aww, it's okay Sunny. We all had thoughts like that from time to time. I don't mind them! I had thoughts like those about Hero too!" She wasn't exactly making the situation better by mentioning how she fantasized about Hero, who was like a big brother to Sunny, but he appreciated the attempt at comfort.   
  
"Oh, thanks, Mari." Now he didn't really know what to talk about now, but he did have a good question for her. "So, I was wondering, why can't you talk to the rest of my friends. They really could talk to you, since they all miss you." Why was she only talking to him? He didn't want to have Mari all to himself, everyone should get a chance to talk to her. She began making an exaggerated thinking expression, rubbing her chin like a detective.   
  
"Hm, I don't really know, but personally I believe it's because your imagination is so active, I can interact with you as a spirit. I mean, you did create near-replicas of our friends, so It was really easy to talk with you first. The others, though, are tricky. They don't exactly have your vivid imagination, nor do they have very focused dreams like you. I do try to give subtle nudges that I am there with them, but they probably think it was all in their head anyway. I doubt they think I am following them around..." She had a sad look in her eyes and her smile faltered. He couldn't blame her, it must be hard being with your friends all the time and not even being noticed. It must've felt like Hell, and Sunny felt responsible for putting her in that Hell. "I know what you're thinking, little brother. It was an accident, and I still forgive you. Maybe try forgiving yourself for a change?" Those words still didn't stick to him. Forgiving himself felt impossible, but he needed to do so, if not for his friends, for Basil, then for Mari. He let out a defeated sigh.  
  
"Fine, I will. It's just hard. Forgiving myself, even after accepting what happened, it's hard. Even if you forgive me, I don't know if I can truly forgive myself..." He let out a sigh, and Mari reached over and rubbed his shoulder.   
  
"Aww, it's okay. I understand, I'll always be here for you though. Don't worry, I am not going to just, leave you here in pain. I'd be an abysmal big sister if I did..." He looked up to see her white eyes looking right at him, with the look of reassurance with warmth on par with the sun. He truly felt happy, it was nice. He wasn't sure if it was regression or progression to have Mari here, but regardless, he was happy to see her. He had one question though since she never actually spoke about it.  
  
"Hey, Mari, do you ever wish you could speak with Hero...?" It was a genuine question, but also one with sadness behind it. She looked away, still rubbing Sunny's shoulder.  
  
"Every day. When I died, I always stood beside Hero. He was miserable, honestly, and I wanted to be there for him. But really, there was nothing I could do. If I could I would come back to life and hug him until all his bones would break. And when Kel came in to confront him about his depression... I sobbed as I tried to separate them, even if I wasn't physically there. It...really hurt, seeing Hero like that. I loved him, I always loved him, and always will, and seeing him like that just, broke me. It was hard, seeing him like that, but I was happy he managed to collect himself. Who knows, maybe if my "spirit power" grows strong I can visit Hero's dreams, and maybe the rest of our friends too..." She gave a light chuckle, but the sadness in her eyes still remained. I got up and walked around the table to hug her. He didn't want her to feel bad, she shouldn't feel bad, she had no right to. Sunny, on the other hand, felt it was labeled on his life to feel bad.   
  
"It's okay Mari, I am here for you, always. Don't worry, I have hope you can see our friends soon. In the meantime, though, I am here for you." His words were met with a tight hug, a hug so tight it rivaled Aubrey's. He felt grateful, happy, to be hugged by his sister again.   
  
"Sunny, I just want to say, you're the best sibling a sister could ask for." And with that, he sobbed into her shoulders. He could also feel her sobbing into his as well, but he didn't mind, they both needed this. Everything was alright, they had each other again. Everything was going to be okay.   
  


* * *

Sunny woke up when the car stopped. He looked out the window to find he was outside a pretty nice-looking building. Guess he was here. He looked around to see buildings of similar architecture lining the streets. He was amazed his mom managed to spot this particular one across all the same-looking ones.  
  
"Alright, we're here! Now, if we are going to bring in the toys, you have to be careful, as there aren't any ramps. However, once we reach the door, you can just drag it across the floor, the employees say it's a usual occurrence and they don't bother to correct it. If you are feeling considerate though, feel free to lift it lightly to not scrape the floor." He sighed, he could use this opportunity as a sort of workout. He kind of needed the exercise. He got out of the car and opened the trunk, and grabbed the container from the handles. With all his strength, he lifted it. Surprisingly, it wasn't as heavy as expected, but the position was uncomfortable. So he moved it out of the car and onto the sidewalk, gently putting it down as to not hurt Aubrey. He dragged the container to the stairs and took some deep breaths. He could do this.  
  
Using his upper body strength, he lifted up the black container up the stairs, it was a struggle, but he managed to successfully put the container down.   
  
"Good job Sunny! You're such a strong boy!" Sunny almost jumped. He didn't realize his mom was waiting for him at the front door. But regardless she helped him by holding the door open while he lightly carried the container inside. Setting it down he took note of the reception office. It was pretty bland, nothing that was extremely noteworthy of it, besides the aquarium on a nearby table and a flatscreen TV attached to the upper wall. It was pretty generic for how apartment buildings go. He dragged the container over to a nearby small waiting area, and luckily no one was around. His mom seemed to be talking to the receptionist, most likely asking for her key.   
  
"Hey Aubrey, are you awake?" He wasn't sure if she slept in the car ride or not, and if she was awake then he was afraid of her response.  
  
"O-Oh uh yeah I'm awake. I, uh, heard everything in the car. I, uh, just wanted to say, um... God, I don't know what to say. Maybe we can talk about it some other time..." Fuck, she was mad at him. God he felt so bad for her. She had to endure listening to his mom talk about his crush on her. Maybe she at least interpreted it as a past crush? She hoped so at least, he wasn't sure what to do.   
  
"Hey Sunny! I got the keycard for our new apartment! Let's check it out!" His mom said with a glee that rivaled a younger version of Aubrey. He followed, dragging current Aubrey in her container to an elevator. His mom pushed the number 3, out of 5 available floors.   
  
"Question, I thought you already saw the apartment. What makes you so happy to see it now?" She shouldn't be so excited about this, since she already been in the apartment.  
  
"Oh! Well, that was before the movers put the furniture and stuff inside the apartment, now it's fully furnished, and I can't wait to see it!" Oh, that explained it. As she concluded, the elevator stopped with a "ding!" and the doors opened. He followed his mom down the equally bland hallway and outside a door, labeled "777". Heh, lucky 7s. He certainly didn't feel lucky though.   
  
"Are you ready Sunny, to see our new home?" He frankly wasn't, but he shook his head to be polite. "Alright, on 1, 2, 3!" With a swipe of the card the door lock turned green, and she opened it. Revealing a surprisingly spacious apartment. On his right side, there was a kitchen and countertop, along with cooking essentials such as a stove and microwave. Ahead of him was the couch and table, and in front was a flatscreen TV, seemingly built into the wall. Behind the couch was the family portrait, featuring his Mom, Dad, Mari, and Sunny. Mari was around 4 or 5 when the picture was taken, and Sunny was still a baby. It was so weird to see his family in one place. it was, really weird. Further ahead, he could see a sliding glass window, leading out to what he guessed was the balcony. Frankly, it looked really nice, homey even.   
  
"Huh, looks pretty." He said still with a deadpan expression. Even if he truly was thrilled to see it, his facial muscles never matched up with his brain.  
  
"Oh, I'm so glad you enjoy it!" She gave him a very nice hug, to which he hugged right back. It really did feel nice hugging his mom again, she was the second closest person in the family to him, anyway. She pulled back from the hug, much to his chagrin. "Anyway, I know it's been a while, and I know how much we should catch up, but we need groceries! There is this really nice supermarket nearby that I thought looked nice, and since you are exhausted you could rest here! Did that sound good." In actuality, it did sound good. Aubrey would be free to explore this place at least for a little while, maybe set up some secret sleeping space.  
  
He nodded, to which she gave him a small kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush. "Oh, I'm so proud of you, Sun-Bun! I'll be back in around 2 to 3 hours! I hope you enjoy exploring!" And with that, she left the apartment building, leaving him, as well as Aubrey, alone. As soon as he heard the footsteps fade away, he opened the plastic container, revealing the undoubtedly sweaty Aubrey inside, her face either red from lack of air (Despite the multiple holes) or from blushing so hard, possibly both. She almost fell over trying to get out of the container, to which Sunny helped. He managed to get her up and balance her. Her legs were shaking, most likely from lack of use and from being such a cramped place.   
  
"Uh, thanks, Sunny..." She was uncharacteristically shy. Was she sick or something? Didn't blame her if she was, he'd probably be too if he was in the container.   
  
"No problem. Do you want to explore the apartment?" He was hoping it looked nice to live in, but judging from the state of her old home, it really was better for her.   
  
"Um, actually, I would like to take a shower. That container was getting really, really hot." He couldn't blame her, it definitely did look unpleasant.   
  
"Oh, I understand. Do you need some clothes? I can get you some." He was unsure if he did have any clothes in this apartment, and it was clear she also know he didn't know. At best, he'd find Mari's old clothes, and as morbid as that sounded, it wasn't bad. But at worst, he would have to give her his own clothes. And he usually has a pretty limited wardrobe...  
  
"Um, I'd like that..." She really was shy. Maybe it was getting used to the new environment? It was bizarre, but he was going to get her clothes regardless. He walked to the left-side hallway and to the right-side door. He flicked on the lights. He got lucky, this was his bedroom. At least, what he would call his bedroom. It had nearly the same layout as his old one. Almost enough to be a replica. The difference being the door was on the far right of the room instead of the far left. He looked through his wardrobe, and sure enough, there were some clothes she could give her. The clothes he got were a very simple grey-v-neck t-shirt and some black sweatpants. Definitely something he'd wear, but he preferred the classic dress shirt and vest he always wore. He was simple and modest. Unfortunately, he also realized he needed to get her underwear. Now that was something that both got his hormones pumping and fearing for his life. He could probably deal with the fact that he was literally giving her his underwear, but it would also be embarrassing to wear said underwear, even after some time in the wash. Alternatively, she could just wear the same underwear she was wearing all the time, but then he wasn't sure if that was him trying to be resourceful or just his perverted mind kicking in. Regardless, he added briefs to the clothes, as that was something equally akin to women's undergarments.   
  
  
He walked out to find Aubrey laying on the couch, not even watching TV. She probably just needed to lie down on something comfortable. He was contemplating on buying covers for the container so she'd be more comfortable, but once she got out he wasn't sure what he would do with it. Beside her was a pink duffle bag, on top of the coffee table. It looked pretty hefty, and he kind of wondered how she was also able to fit comfortably in there with it.  
  
"I got you some clothes." His speech seemed to have spooked her, even though she knew he was the only one here. She carefully grabbed the clothes and seeing that they were basically Sunny's clothes, blushed.  
  
"O-Oh, u-uhh, t-thank you..." And just before he could say "you're welcome", she practically sprinted out of the room. "THANK YOU I'M GONNA GO NOW!" And with that, he heard the bathroom door slam shut. Well, that was awkward, he honestly wasn't sure what to do now. He supposed he could watch some TV while he waited? That seemed like a good idea. So, without delay, he sat on the couch and turned on the TV. His mom probably got a good cable box, because there were a lot of good shows there, to which he was surprised. Maybe life here won't be so bad after all, especially with Aubrey around.   
  
  



	8. Sleepover

Aubrey slammed the door behind her, blushing as red as a rose. She could barely contain herself, let alone stand when she heard that her childhood, no, lifelong, crush had a crush on her, she had to basically force herself not to scream at the sheer panic of the situation. She never expected Sunny, of all people, to like someone like her. He was always quiet and detached compared to her energetic and oftentimes grumpy personality. That's what she always liked about him, he was always so cute when he was shy, it made her heart melt when he did something courageous, like laying down next to her. She never really got a chance to ask him out, since when she was planning on asking him out on a date after his recital. Unfortunately, what she now knows as The Accident happened, making Sunny shut himself away. It really hurt her, and unfortunately, her brain came to the conclusion that he hated her. That's what made it so easy to attack him when he first came out. It was easy to hate someone who hates you, but really she just wanted an excuse to take her anger out on him. She didn't expect him to have a knife though, let alone use it, as well as she and her gang being pepper-sprayed. Then again, she basically showed him nothing but hostility for 2 days straight, what was she expecting? She really needs to apologize for how she treated him these past few days, looking back on how she spoke to him and beat him up opens a new wound that hurts to think about.   
  
God, she completely lost the "Cool-rebellious-girl" persona she built up over the years. It crumbled like dust at the thought of Sunny liking her. She hated it, but now she felt like she was 12 again, still innocent and kind, so small... She felt defenseless, as if any moment he could say something really flirty or smooth unintentionally and she'd just crumble into nothing. She hated it, but she loved the absolute dumbass. Besides, there weren't any guys like Sunny. Someone who was shy yet so empathetic, he was sweet, yet closed off, a good listener, but kind of dense in social situations. She liked all his little quirks, even the bodily ones, specifically, when he blushed it didn't go to his face, it went to his ears, which was utterly adorable. She wished she could focus on the shower, but she couldn't, all that anger finally being gone made way to other emotions, and her crush on Sunny was the strongest one by far. It just felt warm, warmer than anything she felt in the past few years. She wishes she could just hug him, wring him dry of all his worries and fears, just to know he was in good hands.   
  
Where was she? Oh right, the shower. She nearly forgot to take it, damn her feelings for Sunny (no she takes that back she wants to hold onto them until the day she dies). After taking out her aquamarine contacts, she contemplates where to put her clothes. She spots a nearby hamper nearby and dumps her jacket, tank-top, socks, and jean-skirt into it. Okay, now there was a major problem: What was she going to do about her underwear? On one hand, she could just wear it, but that'd be really gross, but on one hand, she could dump it into the hamper, but she wasn't sure if she would have the time to dump it into a washing machine. She could at least do that, right after she's done with the shower. So with her final decision, she put the rest of her clothes into the hamper and stepped into the shower, turning it on.   
  
The water was warm, having not experienced a shower or a bath in quite a while. She mostly came to Kim's house to use their bath, not even wanting to step foot into her own bathroom. She didn't want to catch hepatitis or some other ungodly disease from that hellhole of a bathroom. Grabbing the shampoo she used scrubbed her hair, making sure to clean it all of its sweat and grime. She could've taken a bath, as the shower was connected to a bathtub, but she didn't feel like wasting time. She just wanted to relax, probably spend time with Sunny. The shampoo smelled of lavender, reminding her of all the times Mari smelled of lavender. It always did smell nice, and Hero would always compliment it, to which she would reply he smelt good too, causing him to stutter and babble. She felt weird, giving her the same smell as Mari, but she had to use what she had. She then added conditioner, making sure to let it sit in for a while so her hair was extra soft. It always did feel nice when Mari or Sunny played with her hair, Sunny especially. She didn't know why, but having her hair played by him gave her a sense of appreciation, it felt good. After taking a shower for what felt like a few minutes, she turned off the shower and stepped out, nearly slipping on the tile. She didn't think to leave a towel on the ground, God she felt so dumb. Actually, speaking of towels, she didn't see any on the rack. Checking underneath the cabinet only yielded hand towels.   
  
  
Fuck, there were no towels in here.  
  
  
The situation completely fucking baffled her. Who in their goddamn mind would leave a bathroom without at least one fucking towel?! She was aggravated, having to stand there naked without anything to dry her off. What was she supposed to do now? Just wait until her hair drys? There is no way she was waiting there for an hour just to be dry. She thought of any possible options, but the only logical one that came to her mind was enough to leave her embarrassed and scared.  
  
She had to ask Sunny for a towel.  
  
  
Great, now the blush had returned to her face. She didn't have any other options, and besides, it wasn't like he had to see her naked in front of him, despite toying with the idea. She could just talk with him through a crack in the door. Yeah, that could work. That wouldn't risk the trauma Sunny would get from seeing her naked, after all. She opened the door to just a crack, allowing her to see down the hall and into the living room.   
  
"Hey, Sunny, I got a problem!" She tried to act tough and aggressive, but in actuality, she was about to cry from the amount of anxiety she had.   
  
"Yeah, Aubrey?" He sounded disinterested, which was kind of the plan, didn't want him to be too interested.  
  
"There isn't any fucking towels in here so, uh, c-can you get m-me some...?" God damn it, she was on a roll, and now that the words were coming out of her mouth, the sheer embarrassment of the situation hit her tenfold.   
  
"O-O-Oh, Uhhh, I think I have towels. They are probably next to the laundry room, let me check..." He sounded really anxious. Fuck she made the situation worse. God, why can't she act tough now? She didn't have a problem when Sunny first came out, now all of a sudden she's a bumbling mess. She needs to get a grip on herself and control her emotions. After hearing him walk down the other hallway in the living room, the one on the right side, she heard him walk back. She peaked through the door crack, revealing Sunny carrying two folded towels. She immediately grabbed them, almost risking him seeing her breasts. Then shutting and locking the door.   
  
"THANKS, YOU CAN GO NOW!" She didn't mean to yell so loud, but the tenseness of the situation had made her accidentally raise her voice. He then heard Sunn quietly say "You're welcome..." before walking off. Shit did she come off as being mean? Did she make him feel bad? Damn it, the first thing she's going to do is hug him when she gets out of this stupid bathroom. She used the towel, drying herself off, before throwing the towel into the hamper. She then walked over to the clothes Sunny gave her, and the blush she already had got even redder. Sunny gave her _his_ clothes. She didn't know what she expected, maybe Mari's old clothes? As strange as that sounded, it made sense. But no, she had to wear Sunny's clothes, the ones that had his scent on them. She prayed that these were just clothes he hadn't worn in a while, but she doubted it. She also noticed the fact that she had to wear _his underwear_ , and at that point, she felt like she was going to blackout and never wake up from the sheer embarrassment of it. She really was about to wear his clothes _and_ underwear, huh? Well, fuck it. She was a teenager who also possessed hormones, and she was going to suck it up and take it like a woman.

She then put on his clothes, feeling surprisingly comfy, especially Sunny's briefs (please don't think about it fuck she's thinking about it she can't stop thinking about it). Unfortunately, she also had another problem: She didn't have a bra. God damn-it, she really thought she planned this entire thing out. She was such in a rush to leave she really forgot to bring a spare fucking bra, or really any clothes for that matter. But, she guesses she could recycle the bra from the hamper, no matter how utterly gross that sounded. She didn't want to risk having him literally seeing the outline of her cleavage, but who knows, maybe she could flaunt her "assets" at him for when she was getting close enough with him. She was daring after all. So, she reached into the hamper, pulling out her bra, and putting it on. There, now she was clean, and a little flushed too.  
  
She walked out of the bathroom, not bothering to brush her hair. She wasn't a pansy nor was she a princess, she could live with unbrushed hair. She found Sunny, watching The Simpsons, seeming bored out of his mind. He probably was trying to distract himself from the sheer embarrassment of both the car trip and the towel crisis. Nonetheless, she sat right next to him and hugged him tightly, much to his surprise.  
  
"Sorry, didn't mean to yell, just kind of got embarrassed." God, she wasn't used to being so...emotionally open. She spent a good 3 years closing herself off from her friends, even her new friends as well. But with Sunny, she felt safe, unjudged, like she could literally tell him that she killed someone and he wouldn't give a fuck. Heh, she realized the irony of that statement too late, causing her to hug him tighter.  
  
"OH, it's fine Aubrey. I would've done the same as well." Does he mean accidentally shouting at her? She would be surprised if he did that, he never thought he'd be the one to raise his voice. The thought kind of scared her.   
  
"Still, I know you've had a rough day. You didn't deserve that, y'know?" She got a feeling he was still upset about something, most likely fearing if she forgives him. At this point, it was a yes. Despite basically being responsible for driving everyone away, she was responsible for ensuring that it stayed that way. She should've been there for everyone. She should've approached them, made sure things were okay. Instead, she chose to sit on her ass and mope while feeling she was abandoned. "God, I still feel bad about not being there for you. I should've been there for everyone, but fuck my dumb ass for expecting people to come to me. I just sat around and did nothing and guess where I am at now? I could've spent time with you and the rest of our friends, instead, I acted so fucking stupid." She was beginning to feel the tears pour out of her eyes as she hugged him. She just wanted to hold him, as if holding him would make every terrible decision she has made go away.  
  
"It's not your fault Aubrey. I honestly should've been there for you as well. We all should've been, we just got caught up in our own feelings, that we just, kind of forgot each other. We were all selfish in our own way. But now, I am glad we have each other now. And don't worry, we'll always be together, no matter what." God, hearing him say so much and something so sickeningly sweet made her just cry even more. It really did feel like a dream, and she didn't want to wake up. Especially not to that shitty home. She just wanted to take in Sunny's smell and his calming embrace, not leaving him.  
  
"Sunny, you know you're one of my best friends right?" While she considers Hero, Basil, Kim, and even Kel her best friends, she always felt that Sunny was the closest to her, and the one she cherished and loved the most.   
  
"Honestly, I don't think I am a good friend, at all really. I don't say a lot. In fact, surprised my friends didn't leave me. I thought everyone thought I was some weirdo mute who just kept to himself." She wasn't lying to herself, she always did think he was a little aloof, but she never once thought about leaving him. Even when they thought a few days ago, she never once thought about leaving him.   
  
"Sunny, cut the bullshit. You are literally one of my greatest friends, in fact, you are my _best_ friend, and if I have to beat your head in with a bat for you to get the message then I will gladly do it" She looked up with him with a cocky grin. Knowing he couldn't refuse, he sighed deeply.  
  
"Fine, but only because I care about you. So, what do you want to do now?" Hmm, she wasn't sure what exactly she could do. She thought about just watch The Simpsons with him, but then she had to do something responsible.  
  
"Actually, we need to find someplace where I can sleep. You know, cause we need to find a good sleeping spot for me." She hadn't fully explored, and neither had Sunny.   
  
"Hm, I did see a closet door, want to check it out?" He shrugged. A closet seemed fine. Private too.  
  
"Sure, lead the way." Sunny and Aubrey, the latter grabbing her duffle bag, lept off the couch as Sunny went into, what she presumed, was his bedroom. It seemed simple, very clean. Didn't even have a poster or unique colors. It just looked like a boring bedroom. It kind of fit him. Not too flashy, but not too barren. On the left side of the bedroom, there was a door. Sunny opened it, revealing a surprisingly spacious closet. On some racks were some shirts and on the floor were some folded pants and other stuff. It seemed really comfy, honestly.   
  
"Damn, this actually looks really nice." She really did like the closet. She wished she could sleep in Sunny's bed, though. Maybe sometime in the future, she could do that. For now, she had to make do with what she had. She unzipped her duffle bag and laid out her pillow and blanket on the floor. She also put the picture of Kim near the back of the closet. She also plugged the charger into a nearby outlet, letting her laptop charge. It looked nice. Oh, she still needed one thing to do. She took out the faded Mr. Plantegg.  
  
"Huh, so you were telling the truth." Sunny gave a curious glance over her shoulder, to which she returned with a pout,  
  
"Shut up, I just don't want anything bad happening to him, you know? He's a gift from you and Mari, I should treasure him." She stood up as she hugged Mr. Plantegg tightly. "I am going to throw him in the washing machine, along with all my clothes." She wanted to do it herself, not to let Sunny be the one to see her clothes, specifically her underwear... The thought almost made her had a meltdown, so before she could lose her cool she walked out into the hallway.  
  
She grabbed the hamper and walked down to the other hallway. She opened the right-side door, revealing a laundry room. She did know how to operate washing machines, thanks to Kim, so she simply threw in her clothes, towel, and Mr. Plantegg, added some detergent, and started it up. She then went back to sit on the couch, to which Sunny was already laying on. He was still watching the Simpson's, one of the earlier seasons luckily, so she sat down beside him.  
  
"So, what now?" She didn't really have a lot on her mind, except hide when his mom came back.  
  
"Meh, let's just relax. It's been a long day." To that, she agreed. So with that, they laid on the pretty comfortable couch, watching T.V. It was kind of funny, they were doing the same things she had fled from, the only difference was she had someone to love. 


	9. Rest

Sunny felt nice sitting next to Aubrey. To be fair, he was still incredibly flustered over having to give her a towel. Just thinking about it made him feel like putty. Not to mention seeing her in _his_ clothes. He didn't know why, but there was something oddly cute about seeing her in them. That was probably the only time he was going to be remotely close to her though. He never was good enough for her, and he doubts he was good enough for her now. He was always a quiet kid, the shy one of the group. The rest just pulled him along. He kind of just felt like a dead weight to them. Of course, he also knows that his friends loved him dearly. Hell, they even exchanged phone numbers, but he doubted whether he was their friend simply because he was the last evidence of Mari's existence. So thinking that Aubrey was interested in him was a false hope.  
  
But yet, he still had that crush. It was latching on to him like a tic. He cared a lot about Aubrey, even if she did fight with him. He honestly forgave her for that. He didn't mind that she was going through the pain in her own way. In some ways, it was equally as painful as his. He just wanted her to be happy and knowing that she lived in that dump of a house, made him regret not being there for her. As if on cue, Aubrey spoke.  
  
"You know, I never directly apologized about what happened these last few days. I just wanted to say, if you hate me now, I understand. I basically treated you like shit from day one, even almost fucking killed you and Basil at the lake. I was just being a dumbass, and I let my anger control my actions, but even that's a shitty excuse. So if you hate me, I understand. But I just want to know I am sorry for everything."   
  
Huh, Sunny did not expect that. Not just the apology, but the fact she thought he hated her. He didn't get it, she should be the one hating him. Literally, after everything that the last thing should think is that she was wrong to treat him like dirt. In fact, he deserved it. He still felt that he was terrible, for taking Mari away from all of them.   
  
"What? I don't hate you, Aubrey. In fact, I deserved to be treated that way. I really do thank you, I was punishing myself for so long for Mari's death, but it really does feel nice that I got to be hated by someone else, it felt relieving to be proven right honestly." He said this all with a deadpan face, adding more shock to the already depressed face of Aubrey as she looked at him in utter disbelief. He didn't get it, he was right though. He deserved what he had gotten. She shook her head, her face turning to the anger that was becoming a dominant part of her personality.  
  
"No, fuck that, I am fucking tired of you beating yourself down every chance you get. Yes, you killed Mari, yes, you made it look like a fucking suicide, but I am tired of you refusing to accept that it was a fucking mistake, an accident. You don't fucking get that I already forgave you, and it's pissing me off! Just accept that you didn't deserve how I treated you and move on! Stop acting like you deserve every terrible fucking thing you can think of because guess what Sunny? You fucking don't!" She was screaming at this point, her face conveying all the frustration and anger she could muster, and tears pouring out of her eyes. Seeing her without her contacts allowed him to see her real eyes. It hurt, seeing thoughts beautiful black eyes contain so much anger and sadness. Godamnit, he shouldn't have brought up his feelings, he hurt her with his fucked up, emotionally damaged feelings.  
  
He holds her tightly, hugging her as if his life was depending on it. "I'm sorry, It's just still hard to comes to terms with. If it makes you happy, I'll move on, for you and for Mari. I'm sorry for making you upset." He can hear her calm down, her crying slowing slowly, now just to shuddering gasps of air.  
  
"I-It's fine, I just, hate seeing you like that. It makes me feel more like a failure than I already am. Just, please forgive yourself. I fucking despise seeing you like this." Her words hit right in the heart. He really needs to get some therapy, probably. He never liked the thought of going to a therapist, but he might do so if it made her happy.  
  
"I will. Thank you though, Aubrey. You're an amazing friend." His ears were burning hot. He wanted to say "girlfriend", but he knew that wouldn't go well at all. She snuggled into his arms, seeming to want to be hugged more. In response, he held her closer.   
  
"Can I ask something, Sunny?" Her voice had a hint of worry. Was she just concerned about him now?  
  
"Hm?" He looked to see her eyes, red from the tears she shed.  
  
"Um, why did your mom never make you come outside? I saw her car leave the parking your parking lot like a year ago or something. It'd appear every, what, 2 to 3 weeks maybe? But other than that I never really saw her again after Mari died." That's a question Sunny wondered himself. She always seemed distant towards him. Only talking through the door, offering to come down to eat when he was hungry. But recently, ever since the moving began, she became more and more distant. She still left those messages. She still left lots of food and stuff in the fridge and some snacks in the cabinet. He honestly hasn't seen his mom in person, at least, inside of the house, for over a year, so he always wondered how the food got in there. Maybe Kel? He never knew.   
  
"Hm, you do have a point. I honestly don't really know, I always just assumed she was busy. She needed time to herself after all. I was still coping with her death, so I never um, really noticed her. So when she left the house I just accepted it, since it was something I was used to. I know she didn't really know how to talk with me, and I don't blame her." He honestly couldn't hate his mom, especially after his dad left her to rot and disowned Sunny. Maybe it was also due to not really paying attention to things outside his home, or even his room.   
  
"Huh, I guess that makes sense. Personally, she kind of reminds me of my mom a bit with the whole "leaving an emotionally damaged child behind" thing. But I see your point, I do wish she was there for you more often. If you don't hate her, I guess I can't really hate her either. Besides, at least she's attempting to make it up with you, and actually showing affection." She really did have lots of good points, Aubrey was always a good conversationalist when she wanted to be. He never talked that much back, but he always enjoyed hearing her talk about whatever was on her mind. It was always relaxing, and it still is.  
  
"Thanks, Aubrey. I'm glad you care about me..." He was beginning to blush, but not that hard. She then felt her hug him tightly.  
  
"Well duh, of course I do! I don't want to see you hurt again you dumbass!" She gave him a noogie, causing him to squirm. In some ways, she was very different, but she still was the same Aubrey from 4 years ago.   
  
After watching some more T.V Aubrey got up, and went down to what he presumed was the laundry room. After a couple of minutes, she saw her come back.  
  
"Drying my stuff now, shouldn't take long." She sat back on the couch again, her shoulders brushing against Sunny. She was extremely close to him, but he didn't mind it.  
  
"Will they be done soon? I don't want to explain to my mom that I am washing clothes despite still wearing mine." He was worried that his mom would just unlock the door, leaving little room for Aubrey to hide. She had a habit of arriving late, but she also could arrive much sooner when she wanted to.  
  
"Oh yeah, the dryer said it'd be done in like, 30 minutes. So I should be good. If she does arrive, then we better hope she doesn't notice my clothes." Aubrey's idea was half-assed at best. Then again, her entire plan was half-assed, yet they managed to get this far.   
  
"I mean you do have a point. If she does discover you I'll try my best to convince her to let you stay." He wasn't going to let Aubrey go back to her old home, and he wasn't going to let her live her life as a hobo. She was going to stay somewhere that was safe.   
  
"Heh, thanks. You always like standing up for people, huh?" She was right, he always did. He helped nearly everyone in Faraway in just three days. It felt nice, he didn't expect to have so much fun, but he did. He just wishes he could've stayed there longer.  
  
"True, and this time I'll stand up for you." He noticed a faint redness on her cheeks. He was worried he said something wrong until he heard her make a very light chuckle.  
  
"Heh, thanks..." Silence washed over the two like a tsunami. He had no idea where to go from here. Do they just watch more T.V? Do they just talk about life? Should he bring up Headspace? He should probably talk about that later.   
  
However, before he could make any more decisions, he heard a knock on the door, followed by his mother's voice.  
  
"Hey, sweetie! I forgot to bring the keycard with me! That was really silly of me, so could you be a dear and open the door?" God damn-it, his mom was back already. Almost immediately Aubrey silently walked to his bedroom and quietly shut the door. Getting up, he also shut the door to the laundry room.  
  
"Sure thing Mom!" He grabbed the door handle and opened it. Outside was his mom holding a pretty sizable amount of food and drinks.   
  
"Thank you so much Sunny! Can you help mommy put away some of these groceries?" Sunny proceeded to help put the groceries away. He wasn't used to this, but from all the jobs he took this was a cakewalk. After he was done, his mom breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew, so Sunny, do you enjoy our new home." Admittedly, if he was alone, he would say not really, but since Aubrey was here, he felt more at ease, so he nodded. "I'm so glad you do! I was worried you would lock yourself in your room again, but I'm so happy you're spending time with me. Anyway, Mommy's going to take a quick shower and then hit the hay. I've had a very exhausting day." He couldn't blame her, he also felt tired. Today was probably one of the most eventful days of his life.   
  
"I understand. I'm just going to go back to my room now." He needed to check on Aubrey and see how she's doing. "Oh okay sweetie, I'll say goodnight to you when I'm done showering!" And with that, she walked down the right-side hall, the one opposite of his. Guess he was right the first time. He was terrified of the left-side hallway being her bedroom, and if she found Aubrey, he wouldn't know what to do.  
  
He went into his bedroom, only to find Aubrey sitting on his bed. She seemed nervous, and rightly so, as her clothes were still in the drier.   
  
"Fuck fuck fuck, what the hell are we going to do?! My clothes are in the drier! I can't just walk out of here now! Why did she have to come at the worst possible time?!" She was whisper-shouting, clearly panicking.  
  
"It's alright, I think I have an idea..." He was blushing hard at it, but it seemed to be the only possible option.  
  
"Wait, what ide-" She cut off her sentence as the realization hit her face, followed by covering her face in her hands. "Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me..." Yeah, he didn't really like the idea either. He knew retrieving her clothing himself would be embarrassing as it gets, but he couldn't risk his mom seeing it.   
  
"We don't really have any other options. Besides, she probably won't pay attention to the dryer that much." It was wishful thinking at this point, but it was to alleviate her stress.  
  
"Fucking, just get my clothes..." She fell onto the bed, basically curling into a ball. As to not embarrass her further, he simply left the room. He noticed that his mom was already in the shower. He then quickly went into the laundry room to check the dryer timer, which read "10 minutes". Fuck, he had to wait 10 whole minutes. However, that just meant he could wait next to the dryer. That'd be easy enough. He looked through the glass window, to see a bunch of clothes and Mr. Plantegg spinning in there. He always wondered what it'd be like to be in a washing machine. The best bet would be he would throw up. He simply sat there, simply waiting.   
  
After a while, the dryer stopped spinning, followed by a "ding", to his immense relief. He opened it and grabbed her jacket, tank-top, jean skirt, teal-bow, her socks, Mr. Plantegg, and her- Oh no. He knew it was inevitable, in fact, he was **prepared** for this, but he still felt shocked when he saw Aubrey's panties. At that moment, he wanted to die. He desperately wanted to die. In fact, if he was on top of the hospital he was at earlier today, he would jump at the mere mention of seeing them. They were pretty plain, looked really cheap, and were pink, the same color as her hair. It looked like your average dollar store woman's undergarments, but the fact that they belonged to Aubrey made him fear he was going to have his head hit so hard with a bat it'd fly off like a baseball. Luckily, though, Aubrey left her bat, somewhere. He honestly didn't know where it was, maybe she abandoned it?   
  
'Fucking focus Sunny, you are going to be 18 in two years, you can't just focus on panties of all things, you literally just told your friends you pushed your sister down the stairs and killed her and suddenly you want to die from a pair of panties from your crush?' He needed to focus, he desperately needed to. He then proceeded to fold all of Aubrey's clothes, with her panties at the middle so he wouldn't risk embarrassing himself and her. He then put Mr. Plantegg on top, his faded brown color being gone now, returning to his purple glory, but still a little beat up.   
  
He opened the laundry room door, still finding his mother in the shower. Jeeze, and he thought he spent too long in the bath. He walked his way to his bedroom, opening it up and finding Aubrey still curled up into a fetal position. He then gently based the clothes on the bed and waved Mr. PLantegg in front of her. She grabbed it and hugged it tightly. He was surprised, shocked even. This was the Aubrey he remembered, back when they were all young, innocent, not thinking about the future or the past when they were just kids.   
  
"U-Um, thanks, Sunny..." She sounded really small and quiet, it sounded unreal. He never expected her to ever show off her vulnerable side, especially to him. He sat next to her and rubbed her shoulder.  
  
"You're welcome, it wasn't a problem..." It certainly was a problem seeing her underwear, but he wasn't focusing on that. He just wanted to make her happy. "I'm feeling a little tired, it's been a long day. I don't really care what time it is, I just want to sleep." It felt like this day was a week long. He just wanted to sleep.   
  
"Same, want to sleep together?" He began to stutter and blush, to which she immediately added, "I-I mean at the same time!" Oh, that makes more sense. He wasn't opposed to sleeping with Aubrey in the same bed, but at the risk of making her uncomfortable, he simply didn't push it.   
  
"Oh, sure, I don't mind." He was tired, he just wanted to rest, and he also just wanted to sleep in a damn bed, not a chair. With that, Aubrey hugged Sunny tightly, then grabbed her clothes and into his closet, shutting it behind her. He felt bad there wasn't some extra bedding to add to the floor of the closet, and they're probably were some in his mom's room, but at this rate, he just wanted to sleep. So he simply climbed into bed and shut his eyes, and before he knew it, was in a deep sleep.  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Sunny arrived in White Space, and the first thing he heard was his sister laughing hysterically. She sounded like she could die (again, he added) of laughter. He simply sat down on the chair across from her, watching her cry of laughter and banging her fist so hard against the table he swore if she hit it harder it would break.   
  
"What's so funny?" He didn't get it. Was she laughing at the thoughts about her panties? His self-loathing? He wasn't following. She slowed down on laughing, but it looked like it was a struggle to do so.  
  
"Oh my God, I love you so much Sunny, but you are absolutely oblivious when it comes to romance." To be fair, that was kind of true, the reason the Sweetheart and Spaceboy arc didn't go anywhere is that he didn't know how romantic relationships really worked once someone got together. So because of the fear of portraying them "incorrectly", he simply made Sweetheart break-up with Spaceboy.   
  
"What are you talking about? There was nothing romantic going on." He was clueless at this point, why was she bringing up romance?  
  
"Oh my God, you haven't noticed Aubrey blushing every time you tried to comfort her? How she ran into the bathroom when our mom talked about your crush on her? How she didn't immediately rip your head off when you proposed to get her clothes?" To be fair those things were odd, but he thought that was just how she did things now. So he simply shrugged, causing her to laugh some more. "Oh my God, isn't it obvious?! She has a crush on you!"   
  
He honestly didn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. The thought was impossible, her having feelings for him was a lie. He was absolutely baffled. He didn't get it, he felt baffled, confused. Why and how could she like him, after making her feel pain for 4 damn years?   
  
"I don't get it. How can she love someone like me? I literally just told everyone I pushed you down the stairs and killed you, she shouldn't love me." It was true, it felt impossible to love someone like him, especially after everything.  
  
"I don't know either, but she definitely loves you! She even yelled at you because she didn't want to see you hate yourself. I am pretty sure that's a sign she forgives you at this point." It still baffled him.  
  
"I just can't believe someone like her, a girl I had a crush on since we were 12, likes me back." It really was hard to believe she loved him back. Sunny never believed that she even had a crush on him in the first place, that things were one-sided. He wanted to ask her out so badly, but it felt impossible. He didn't feel like he could do it. And in the end, The Accident prevented him from doing so. After that, he was sure any feelings they both had each other were evaporated, but it seemed to him that they returned, and they returned with a vengeance.  
  


"Well regardless, when you do get the chance, maybe you should tell her how you feel about her? It would at least get the tension off your chest and allow you to move on." The problem with that is that he did not want to move on from Aubrey, he wanted to be there for her always. But that was just his selfishness speaking for him, and he understood what Mari was trying to say.

"Yeah, you're right. I will in the future, right now it's too soon." It would just put more stress onto her, and if she was wrong about her having a crush on him then that'd create a rift in their friendship. For now, he was going to keep it safe.  
  
"Hm, good point. Take your time though Sunny! And always remember, I'm your wingman, so if you need help with ladies, I'm here!" She gave Sunny finger guns, and it really did feel great to see her again. She always had a goofy side to her that she rarely showed, only to Sunny and Hero. It was nice though, and he felt happy, knowing the possibility of knowing Sunny's childhood crush liked him. 


	10. Settling In

Aubrey laid down on her makeshift bed. It was fairly comfortable, despite being on the floor. The carpet probably helped due to its softness, which made extra comforters not as urgent. A lot of things happened today, embarrassing things for the most part, but there were some things that opened her eyes. The truth, for instance, hit her like a brick. Everything suddenly made sense, Sunny locking himself in for 4 years, the defaced photographs, the fact that Basil was more anxious, and Sunny carrying a knife on his first day out. Everything just clicked, and honestly, she was expecting to hate Sunny. Feel every bit of anger in her soul directed at him, but she couldn't, no matter how hard her instincts told her to hate him, it was impossible. Not only did she love him, but it would also be hypocritical. She almost killed Basil and Sunny, she couldn't hate someone she almost killed, especially someone who was just as emotionally vulnerable as her, if not more so. She also made a promise with Hero, that no matter what they'd be together, she wasn't going to abandon her friends, they meant the world to her. Besides, she loved Sunny, and she wanted to be there for him every step of the way.   
  
She opened up her laptop, which was still plugged into its charger. She opened up Discord, and found Kim's account, named "Sweetberly". It was such a blatantly unoriginal name she chuckled at it, then again her own name wasn't much better. "Aubunny04" wasn't exactly a great username, but she never used social media that much. She then began typing a hello, just like she promised when she reached Sunny's apartment.  
  
  
"hey kim managed to make it to sunnys place. pretty excited ngl"  
  
Without delay, Kim almost immediately began typing out a reply. Guess she had been waiting for a while.  
  
"omg aubbie you crazy girl i cant believe you actually managed to pull that shit off!!!! how does it feel to be a runaway >:)"   
  
"exhilarating. feels like i am doing a crime, like stealing from a vault. it feels really nice to finally not smell piss and shit, and my homemade bed is comfy af" 

"hah nice!!! has sunny been treating you well tho? if he hasnt ill bring the gang with me and we can beat him up >:("  
  
"no no no no no no please do not do that. hes been really kind and sweet to me, hes basically protecting me from his mom. kind of surprised he even managed to get me so far. thought i would be discovered sooner lol."  
  
"actually yeah how did you get into sunnys apartment without his mom finding you????"  
  
"oh simple he hid me in this plastic container and convinced his mom that i was a bunch of toys n shit" She was lucky Sunny moved the container into his room. Would've been a major cover blow. 

"HOLY SHIT REALLY??!?!?!??! THATS FUCKING CRAZY!! god i would've fucking loved to see that in action."   
  
"trust me, it got really fucking cramped and hot in there real quick, even with the breathing holes sunny made. its good to be be able to stretch my legs. anyways hows the gang taking my leaving?" She never did get to say goodbye to them, and she didn't want them to feel like shit.

"oh yeah, well after you left i told them everything. they all had mixed signals, but they all could get behind why you left and said they wish ya the best of luck. btw im the new leader now, hope you arent mad >;)"  
  
"heh nah im not, you were always considered my second in command, so imo it was natural you became the new leader." Kim always was Aubrey's first choice, with Mikhael being the last. 

"aww your the sweetest aubs, glad to have a friend like you in my life <33333"   
  
"you too kim <33333 anyway i am pooped i am going to hit the hay. talk to you tomorrow okay?"  
  
"ye ye sure thing, goodnight!"  
  
"night"  
  
  
And with that, Aubrey pulled her blanket around her, and feeling safe for the first time in years, she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

The next morning she woke up, fearing the entire plan was just a dream, that the confession was just a dream, only to find out she was still in Sunny's closet. Due to the light being turned off it was hard to tell what time she woke up, so she simply opened her laptop to check the time, which read "6:26 am". Damn, she wasn't an early riser, when did she go to sleep again? She checked her messages with Kim, their last messages reading "7:45 PM". Damn, she probably had one of the best naps of her life, compared to the times she had sleepovers with her friends. It felt nice to finally be safe.  
  
She slowly opened the closet door, finding Sunny's bed already empty. Huh, guess he woke up early as well? She tip-toed slowly to the slightly open door. She carefully opened it, sneaking down into the hallway, finding Sunny sitting at the countertop, eating a bowl of cereal.  
  
"Morning Sunny. Did you sleep well?" She sat down on a nearby chair next to him. She saw he was eating Golden Grahams. Pretty average cereal, but Sunny was never one that cared about taste that much.  
  
"Meh, it was alright." She could tell from his look he was hiding something. She wasn't sure what though. Maybe another secret?  
  
"What's with that look on your face Sunny? You look like you know something." He immediately tensed up, proving her suspicions. His ears slowly began to turn red. Was it something embarrassing? Something about her?  
  
"Um, I kind of wanted to ask you something, but not sure if right now is the best time..." Judging from his expression, it definitely did have something to do with her. Hm, could it be his crush on her? Definitely seemed like it.  
  
"Why not? You do know you can tell me anything, right?" He literally told his biggest secret yesterday. He shouldn't be this nervous about something unless it concerned only her.  
  
"Well, it's about you, and I don't really think I am ready to say it..." Yup, it was about his crush on her. It was pretty fucking obvious, but hearing her suspicions confirmed made her blush as well. God, how the fuck was she going to admit she liked him as well. It felt too soon, but she wanted to do it, and badly. She just wanted to admit right there that she fucking loved him, but really that would overwhelm after only a day into his new home. Plus would he even believe her? She was worried he would think that she was lying, and that thought hurt her even more.  
  
"O-Oh, w-well maybe later in the day we could talk about it? IIf you want to of course! No pressure." What she wanted to do was wait until the perfect moment when they were alone, then go in for the killing blow. It could probably work. She just wants to see Sunny happy for once, to know she still cares about him, and better yet, loves him for who he was.   
  
"Oh, sure. I'd like that." Sunny stopped eating and hugged Aubrey tightly, it felt really nice. He was shaking slightly, but that was okay. She hugged him back, giving him all the love she could give. She felt they were the only two people in the world at that point, that they would always be there for each other. For the first time in years, she truly did feel safe.   
  
  
"Sunny, who is that you're hugging?"  
  
  
Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck **FUCK**. No, it couldn't be, it just fucking couldn't be. She clung to Sunny harder, to which he also clung to her as well. Sunny's mom was right behind her. She couldn't make her go back to her mom's. She wasn't going back to that shit hole again, she fucking couldn't. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't think. She was beginning to panic. Luckily, Sunny spoke.   
  
  
"Okay, Mom, don't freak out, but this is Aubrey. You know, my old friend from Faraway?" His voice was very calm, but she could feel him shaking in fear.   
  
"Wait, she's _Aubrey_? She doesn't even look like the same girl from 4 years ago..." She sounded...disappointed? Pity? She wasn't sure, it didn't sound like the ridicule and disgust from her fight in the church, though.  
  
"Yes I know she looks a bit different, but she's been through a lot." He was still hugging her, desperate not to let go. She didn't want to let go either.   
  
"Alright I get that, but what is she doing here? Shouldn't she be in Faraway? I didn't hear the news that another family, let alone hers, were moving." The hint of her voice wasn't necessarily malicious, more so questioning. She didn't seem too displeased about Aubrey being here, but it felt like she wasn't sure why she was here.  
  
"Well, I brought her here to live with us." Aubrey closed her eyes and braced for the verbal impact that his mom was going to give them.  
  
"Wait, what?! Sunny I bought this place for only two people! I don't know if I can pay for another person's needs! I am already on thin ice when it comes to bringing food on the table!" Sunny held her tight, shaking slightly more.

"I know mom, but you should've seen her house. It was an actual junkyard. There was trash everywhere, mold growing on the walls, and her mom was just sitting on the couch when I walked in. Didn't even say anything to me. There was no way I couldn't refuse her to live with us." Aubrey hoped that Sunny's mom would at least understand. That the house she came from wasn't sunshine and rainbows like most normal families.  
  
"Wait, really? Why didn't you tell me about this Aubrey!" Now it was her turn to speak. She was still shaken, but she managed to calm herself down just enough to talk to Sunny's mom.  
  
"T-This was before Mari's death. The house was alright back then, but after my dad left, everything fell apart. I thought that if I could run away I would be able to have a better life here. I wouldn't have to stay in that place anymore... But whatever you do, please don't drop me off back at that house. Kick me out into the streets for all I care, just don't send me back..." She was too scared to face Sunny's Mom. Living on the streets was not a better option, but at least she could make money from begging.   
  
"Oh sweetie, I'm not going to kick you out. Why in the world would I do that? If that house is really as bad as you say it is, I'll let you stay. On two conditions though." Aubrey quickly turned around, her eyes red with tears, looking attentively at Sunny's mom. She was wearing very odd pajamas for a woman in her mid-40s. They seemed to be cat-themed, which she guesses made sense, she did own a black cat.   
  
"Yes, anything." She was nodding her head vigorously, to the point it looked cartoonish.   
  
"You must help with any chores I give Sunny, and you both must attend the same school here. I expect good grades too." Huh, those were pretty easy conditions to follow. In fact, they didn't seem conditions at all, just a part of life.   
  
"Oh, of course, Ma'am. I'll literally do anything to stay here." She felt extremely relieved. She could stay, she could fucking stay here. She was on the verge of breaking down into tears, but she was going to wait a little bit until Sunny's mom left.  
  
"Thank you! You're still that sweet girl I remember! Anyway, I'm going to have to get ready for my job. I'll see you soon." She then waved at them before going back into the bedroom and closing it.  
  
As soon as she heard the door closed, Aubrey completely burst into tears, holding on to him extremely tightly. He held her tightly as well, and she could feel the teardrops going down on her back. He was crying too. They were both equally worried about the outcome, but they guessed they overreacted. She was going to be happy here, she could feel it.   
  
  



	11. Exploring

Sunny watched as Aubrey made her breakfast. She definitely seemed to not be used to making cereal, and he didn't blame her, he personally wouldn't want to make cereal in a place filled with that much grime. He helped her though, not wanting her to spill the milk and cereal over the counter. She was thankful as she ate her cereal in silence. She seemed exhausted as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Sunny could guess what this "weight" was, and he was surprised by how relaxed and calm his own mother was. Then again, he hasn't spoken to her directly in 4 years. He kind of forgot what she was like honestly. He did remember his mom being kind but strict, but it seemed her "strictness" was pretty shallow. It didn't matter though, as long as Aubrey could stay he was happy.  
  
His mom came out of the hallway, wearing a grey pantsuit. He honestly didn't expect to see his mom in such attire, but then again he didn't know a lot about what kind of jobs she did. He did guess what his parents did was something office-related, but he didn't know exactly how high their parents were on the hierarchy.   
  
"Hey, I just wanted to tell you sweeties that I hope you enjoy our new home! I know it may not be that big, but I hope you both enjoy living here!" Sunny noticed his mom say "our new home", so she must've really integrated Aubrey into the picture. Honestly, he was quite curious as to why she was so quick to ingrate her into the family.   
  
"Hey mom, not to sound weird, but why are you so quick to let Aubrey live here?" He definitely did not want to sound ungrateful, and it seemed Aubrey had the same idea, as she also said, "Yeah, I've been wondering that too. You said this apartment was for, what, two people? So why allow me to stay?" They both didn't want to take their chances, and they definitely didn't want to change his mom's mind, but they were really curious. Sunny's Mom let out a deep sigh as if she really didn't want to talk about whatever she was about to say.  
  
"Well, when Mari...passed away, and Sunny's Father left me, the house felt really...empty. It felt like I failed as a mother, especially when Sunny locked himself in his room. I felt really alone. I kind of just accepted that things weren't going to get better and that Mari was never going to come back. Heh, I guess you just remind me a lot of Mari, Aubrey. I know that's a weird thing to say, but you do remind me of her when she was young, always reckless and impulsive. She may have become more controlled, but that was always my Mari to me..." She sniffed and wiped her eyes before continuing, " I guess what I'm trying to say, is that you are kind of like Mari in a way Aubrey. Even if you aren't exactly like her, but in my eyes, you remind me of her."   
  
Aubrey, from the look on her face, had very conflicted emotions; grief, sadness, belonging, and love were all displayed. Sunny didn't expect Aubrey to jump out of her chair and hug his mom. It was a very sweet moment. He really wished he had Basil's Camera. He would've immediately captured it.   
  
"Oh! There there, it's okay." His mom began to hug Aubrey tightly as he could hear Aubrey softly crying into his mom's pantsuit. Sunny's Mom didn't seem to mind though, in fact, she began crying as well. Sunny didn't really know what to do in this situation. Should he join the hug? Should he just wait it out? In the end, he decided to join in on the hug as well. It was a really nice feeling. It really did feel like his family was whole again. After awhile the hug was broken up, seemingly due to his mom being slightly late.   
  
"Anyway, I'm sorry I have to go so soon! Sunny, remember to take your antibiotics the doctors gave you! I'll see you both around 6 PM! Bye!" Both teens waved as the mother shut the door, leaving them alone.   
  
"Soo, what do you want to do Sunny?" He wasn't exactly sure, but he believed that if there is one thing he shouldn't forget, it was his anti-biotics.   
  
"Antibiotics first." Aubrey gave a nod, and both went into the bathroom, where Sunny grabbed the pill bottle from the counter and struggled to open it. Aubrey helped, and with a little struggle, opened it. He popped a pill into his mouth and grabbed a handful of water from the tap to swallow it down.   
  
"Oh god damn-it!" Aubrey facepalmed herself and let out a groan.  
  
"What?" Sunny was confused. Did he take the pills wrong? Should he have taken the eye-patch prior to bed?   
  
"I forgot to bring my contact containers, now they'll be dry and shit!" He figured out what she meant after discovering her contacts shriveled on a towel on the counter. To be fair, he never really got why she needed contacts. To him, she was already pretty cool.  
  
"I prefer your natural eye color anyway." She then began blushing slightly, to which Sunny promptly felt ashamed for accidentally insulting her.   
  
"It's not just that, they were a gift from Kim for my 16th birthday, and it cost her like, 60 dollars to buy them." Oh, well that made sense. Sunny felt bad for her. Her friend's gift basically ruined. He patted her on the back.  
  
"It's okay, don't worry about it. Let's just wash the dishes" Aubrey sighing, reluctantly agreed to help. Sunny could tell she never really cared about chores, and given the state of her house, she was never given any to begin with. They washed the dishes in the sink, and after finishing. put them on a rack to dry. After washing the dishes, Sunny and Aubrey sat on the couch and relaxed, feeling incredibly bored. They didn't really have much else to do that was on their mind. However, Aubrey suddenly perked up, suggesting she had an idea.  
  
"Hey, I know what we can do today! We can go and explore the city!" Aubrey did mention that Sunny should go out more, so he was expecting her to suggest such a thing.   
  
"Um, are you sure? We don't exactly know the layout of the city." Then again, neither of them knew the layout. But Aubrey was always like that. She was always curious about her surroundings and learning about things around her.  
  
"Well neither do I, and we aren't going to learn unless we go out and see it for ourselves!" She did have a point, and Sunny felt like he could spend some energy doing something instead of sleeping.   
  
"Alright, it does sound fun." It really did, and Aubrey seemed pretty ecstatic at him agreeing.   
  
"Alright, I should get dressed though. I'll go change into my clothes, wait right here." Sunny didn't need to change, simply because he wore the same clothes day and night, despite being very unconventional. He really should take a bath, but he figured he'd do that when he gets home again. Aubrey got up from the seat and went into his room, hearing the door lock behind her. He really was excited to explore the city with Aubrey. Alone it'd probably take him slightly longer to actually go out, but with her, he felt she could make a gas station look interesting. He was hoping he could probably see some interesting sights. He probably would find weird art sculptures or statues of people that no one really cared about. After a while, he heard the door open, revealing Aubrey in her normal clothes. Without the contacts, she looked slightly less intimidating, but he didn't mind. There probably wouldn't be anyone to intimidate anyhow. Besides, he liked seeing the same eyes from 4 years ago.  
  
"Alright, you ready Sunny!" She let out her hand to beckon him, to which he grabbed. "Alright, let's go!" Sunny made sure to grab the keycard for their apartment and his new phone before rushing down the hallway and into an elevator. Aubrey pressed "1" and the elevator moved.   
  
"I am still a little nervous honestly." Sunny was only given 3 days to explore Faraway, which was relatively easy, as Faraway was a very, very small town. In fact, he didn't even expect to know nearly everyone there in just under 3 days. It kind of felt like a warmup to the struggle of whatever the city was going to be like. Maybe the people there were nice? Maybe they were jerks? Hard to tell, but he did know that cities were far more different than towns, and he wasn't fully prepared for whatever was to come.  
  
"Don't be, if anything happens I got your back. I'll be here for you Sunny, every step of the way." He gave Aubrey a light smile at the sense of protection, to which Aubrey smiled back at. It felt nice, knowing they had each other to explore a new world before them.  
  
After awhile the elevator door opened, and both teens ran to the front door, almost tripping on the stairs, before making it back on the sidewalk. It seemed to be very straightforward, and they could both go left and right.  
  
"Hm, which way you wanna go Sunny?" Sunny opened up his new phone. He had been using it for a little bit before Aubrey got up and used the maps feature to figure out what the best route was. To their left was a pretty nice plaza, with a pizza shop, A gas station, a store, and a game store. It almost felt like an alternate version of Faraway Plaza. To his right, there was a bus stop and a pool, as well as a school. Considering they weren't going swimming and the fact that the plaza did have a bus stop, he felt that going right was a decent choice.  
  
"Let's go right, a bus stop is there so we can take it to the plaza." He wasn't thrilled to be going to a bus stop. In fact, he didn't like the thought of public transportation at all. But he was safe, and Aubrey was there to keep him safe.   
  
"Sounds like a plan." She simply shrugged, making their way to their right and turning a corner. They found the bus stop, with some advertisements for shampoo on it. Sitting at the seat was a man, who looked to be either in his mid-30s or early 40s. He wore a fairly ragged suit, crumpled tie, and missing one of his socks. He owned a very worn fedora that looked like 10 dogs had chewed on, and his face had the expression of both misery and bitterness. They were both equally nervous to approach him, as he looked slightly terrifying to them, but he noticed their presence.  
  
"Hey, you two, I don't bite, if you want to wait at the bus stop, be my guest. I couldn't give a fuck." It was surprisingly shocking how comfortable this guy was about cursing in front of children, but then they'd both be hypocrites. He moved to the side to give them space, allowing Aubrey and Sunny to sit down on the bench.   
  
"Um, thanks, Mr...?" He at least wanted to know the man's name. He got to know all sorts of people in Faraway, so really this was no different. The man gave a very quizzical look as if Sunny grew a second head, but then he promptly replied.  
  
"Grimes, Edward Grimes. Work an office job for advertisement, specifically for tech companies and the like." Sunny was surprised that he was giving that much detail just from simply asking for a name. Then again he probably was used to giving people his qualifications, at least that's what he assumed.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Grimes, I'm Sunny Suzuki and this is Aubrey Parks." Aubrey waved at the mention of her name. He didn't want to mention her full name as to not embarrass her, but in the long run, he just felt like it was unnecessary.   
  
"Huh, Suzuki ay? I know an Agatha Suzuki. A nice woman she is. We work on the same floor together. I am guessing you are related to her?" Wait, this guy knows Sunny's _mother_? He really wasn't expecting that, but then again his mom doesn't talk about her job in the first place.   
  
"Oh uh yeah, I'm her son." Grimes gave confused look, probably slightly confused at his response.  
  
"Really? You're her son? She looked like she was in her 30s still, and she didn't mention having a husband or wore a ring." Sunny felt kind of grateful that Grimes at least thought his mom still looked younger, despite being a total stranger.  
  
"Well, my dad left one day after...something happened in our home. I don't know where he is or what happened. I think he just got fed up with living with a family." Sunny's Dad wasn't the best father figure in his opinion. He was strict, hard-working, and a very controlling person. He loved Mari far more than Sunny, and both Mari and Sunny noticed this. Whenever Mari did something that earned praise, his father would always reward her, but whenever Sunny did something that would be counted as praiseworthy, he simply dismissed it as a child progressing through life. He never really seemed to pay attention to Sunny, and frequently told him that Mari, the oldest child, was a higher priority than Sunny. This cause Sunny to burst into tears, and Mari consoled him, saying his father didn't mean that, but in reality, they both knew he didn't really care about Sunny as a whole, only viewing Mari as the poster child of their family. When Mari died, he quickly abandoned his remaining family, right before cutting down the tree she was hung from. He still remembers walking up to him, asking why he was chopping down the tree, only to be disowned and being reminded how much he had failed as a son. After that, he promptly took one of the family's two cars and drove away, never to come back. He still wonders where he is now, and what happened to him.   
  
"Oh. I see. I uh, am sorry you had to go through that. You see, I experienced the same situation with my own father. He uh, always thought I sucked as a son, and when I turned 10, he simply left one day, saying that family doesn't matter to him, only money. It hurt me, but my mother told me I would kick his ass at whatever I had put my mind to because unlike him, I had a soul. Heh, I miss her sometimes." Aubrey let out a light chuckle at the story, to which Sunny grinned too. It really did sound like a bad upbringing, but Sunny knew it was about to get worse. "Oh, do you want me to stop? Sorry, haven't talked to many folks about my past, and I kind of got caught up in the moment." Despite carrying the same stone-faced expression, he looked as if he wanted to keep going.   
  
"Sure, I don't mind, do you, Aubrey?" Aubrey shook her head, also wanting to hear more.  
  
"Oh, well fair enough." He cleared his throat and straightened his back. "I did pretty well in school, so well I was bullied for it. Heh, imagine being good enough at school that you're ridiculed for it. Anyway, after school, I went to college, and somehow it was worse. The young adults in there were like children. Throwin' eggs at the back of my head like I was a target. I still did well, I did really well in writing and business school, but decided to do an advertisement because sure as hell I was gonna own a fucking company with a boot licker's pay check. Unfortunately, it's still not a decent job, because I still got a pretty mediocre pay, but whatever, it ain't the end of the world." He sort of slumped after he was done speaking, signaling he was done with his speech. "Appreciate ya hearing me out, kids. Ain't got not many people to talk to." He gave a very small smile, smaller than even Sunny's, which Sunny thought was impossible.  
  
"It's not a big deal, right Sunny?" Aubrey nudged him in the shoulder, to which he also nodded.   
  
"Heh, most kids your age would think I am a worthless worker, just like every other person that came before me, but you took the time to actually listen to my shit story. So, I want you to have this." Grimes reached inside his suit and pulled out a 50 dollar bill. "Sorry if it ain't much, just trying to save up a little bit, y'know?" Sunny and Aubrey looked at it in amazement. They didn't expect to actually make money on their first day of exploring.  
  
"No it's fine, thank you so much, Mr. Grimes," Sunny said with enough emotion to break the monotone just enough for it to convey gratefulness. "I really do appreciate the money." He honestly was wondering what he could spend it on, he wasn't really sure.  
  
"It's alright, and call me Edward. Never liked being called "Mr. Grimes". Reminds me of my father." Before the sadness of the sentence could settle, a bus approached to which Grimes, Sunny, and Aubrey got up. The bus door opened, to which Sunny see Grimes give the driver three quarters. "Those two quarters are for them." The bus driver tipped his gatsby cap as Aubrey and Sunny approached.   
  
"So, where are you two headed?" The bus-driver gave a drag of his cigarette as he waited for a response.  
  
"We would like to go to the plaza please." Sunny said, to which the bus driver nodded. Sunny and Aubrey sat on two seats next to each other, ready to explore some foreign land. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies there weren't updates, just didn't know exactly what to write. Hope you enjoy this one though.


End file.
